Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Poplarville, Mississippi 39470
Sunday, February 17, 2013 15:30 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The noncertificated pilot was conducting his first flight in the unregistered experimental airplane, which he purchased several months before the accident. No logbook entries were found indicating whether the pilot had previous flight experience. The pilot flew the airplane for about 30 minutes near his home before making a low pass over a field about 50 feet above ground level. Witnesses heard the engine power increase as the airplane approached a line of trees and then observed the left wing contact a tree top and the airplane subsequently impact the ground.
A witness reported that the pilot had been consuming alcohol on the day of the accident. Results from toxicological testing indicated the presence of alcohol in the pilot’s blood; however, the amount of ethanol detected in the blood was lower than the level that the Federal Aviation Administration has determined pilots may fly, although any amount of ethanol may be impairing. In addition, toxicological testing found narcotic pain medications in the pilot’s urine and other tissues; however, none of these narcotics were found in the pilot’s blood, which suggests that the pilot likely used narcotics several days before the accident. Therefore, the extent of the pilot’s impairment due to use of alcohol and narcotic medications could not be determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The noncertificated pilot’s decision to make the flight and his failure to maintain clearance from trees while maneuvering at a low altitude.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/17/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Poplarville |
| Event State | MISSISSIPPI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 39470 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 304944N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0893108W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1550 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 25 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HSA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 23 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 171 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.27 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KHSA 172150Z 16006KT 10SM CLR 14/M01 A3027= |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32793 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Monroe County Sheriff's Office |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 16 2014 4:36PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | NONE |
| NTSB Number | ERA13LA136 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | QUICKSILVER |
| Aircraft Model | MX2 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | Unknown |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 720 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Unkown |
| Aircraft Owner State | UN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Ron Desantis |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Tucson |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 85742 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Poplarville |
| Departure State | MS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1500 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Poplarville |
| Destination State | MS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 16 2014 4:36PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |