Quicksilver Eipper Acft GT 400 N3740A

Summary

On 28 September 2014 at about 15:52 local time, a Quicksilver Eipper Acft GT 400 registered N3740A was involved in an accident near Lebanon, Connecticut, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 September 2014 at 15:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Lebanon, Connecticut, United States

Nearest airport

Private Airstrip (NONE)

Coordinates

41.6017, -72.2308

Aircraft

Quicksilver Eipper Acft GT 400

Registration

N3740A

Category

Airplane

Year built

1989

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lebanon → Lebanon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14LA462

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s misjudgment of the takeoff distance needed to clear trees at the end of the runway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during the takeoff from a private airstrip, he used only about half of the available runway length. The ultralight airplane reached about 8 to 10 ft above the ground, and the pilot thought it would clear trees at the end of the runway, so he continued the climb. The nose landing gear subsequently cleared the trees, but the main landing gear caught a treetop. The airplane then turned right, stalled, and descended through the trees to the ground. The airplane was heading into gusting wind during the takeoff. A witness reported hearing the engine running after the accident, and the pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.