14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, April 18, 2014 in Hillsboro, KS
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/19/2014
Aircraft: QUICKSILVER GT400, registration: -
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
After completing the assembly of the unregistered airplane, the pilot made a high-speed taxi on the grass strip and the airplane veered off the runway. He taxied back to attempt a takeoff and, after takeoff, the airplane made a steep right. The airplane continued the flight, and the left wing collided with a tree. The pilot was ejected from the cockpit, and the airplane continued into a pond. The airplane did not contain a seatbelt. Continuity of the flight controls was confirmed, and no anomalies were noted with the engine or systems during postaccident examination. Weather in the area included a gusting wind up to 20 knots.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On April 18, 2014, about 1345 central daylight time, an unregistered Quicksilver GT400 airplane, collided with a tree and impacted water after takeoff from a private grass strip near Hillsboro, Kansas. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was owned and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was destined for Alfred Schroeder Field Airport (M66), Hillsboro, Kansas.
According to the responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane had undergone extensive maintenance and the pilot assembled portions of the airplane prior to departure. After the airplane was fully assembled, the pilot attempted to start the engine. When the engine did not start, he poured fuel into a cylinder from the spark plug opening and the engine started. The pilot taxied onto the grass strip and made one high speed taxi and veered off the runway. He returned to the beginning of the runway and departed. After takeoff, the airplane made a steep right turn to the north and climbed to about 100 feet above the ground. The airplane continued north and the left wing collided with a tree. The pilot was ejected from the cockpit and the airplane continued into the pond next to the tree.
An acquaintance reportedly suggested that the pilot should trailer the airplane to the airport. The pilot stated he "had to fly it to the airport" and continued to assemble the airplane. The intended airport, M66, was 1.5 miles away. The acquaintance witnessed the accident.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot, age 69, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for single engine land, multi-engine land and instrument airplane. On November 30, 1998, he was issued a third class special restriction medical certificate with the limitations that it was not valid for night flying or by color signal control. On the medical certificate application he reported that his flight experience included 20 total hours and 0 hours in the past 6 months. On prior applications he reported 4,500 flight hours in 1991 and 1992, 30 flight hours in 1994, and 40 flight hours in 1995.
The pilot's logbooks and records were not available during the investigation; therefore his total flight experienced could not be determined.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
According to marketing information from the Quicksilver Aircraft website, the GT400 is described as an ultralight. The airplane is built from a kit, with a single seat, high wing, and tricycle landing gear. It can be equipped with either a 47 horsepower Rotax R447 or a 50 horsepower Rotax R503 engine. The airplane has a removable 5 gallon fuel tank. With the R503 engine, the airplane's empty weight would have been about 316 pounds. The manufacturer's information also notes that the pilot is responsible for operating the aircraft in accordance with the applicable Federal and State regulations. The airplanes logbooks were unavailable during the investigation so the extent of the maintenance performed, complete airplane configuration and performance information could not be confirmed.
There was no record of the airplane being registered with the FAA or having been issued an airworthiness certificate. FAA regulation Part 103 describes an ultralight as having a single occupant, empty weight of 254 pounds or less, fuel capacity not exceeding 5 gallons, not capable of exceeding 55 knots and a stall speed less than 24 knots.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
At 1355, the automated weather observation at Newton City Airport (KEWK), Newton, Kansas, which was 15 miles south-southwest of the accident site, reported: wind from 170 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 18 knots, 10 miles visibility, a clear sky, temperature 66° Fahrenheit (F), dew point 43° F, and altimeter setting 30.24 inches of mercury. According to the FAA, witnesses reported weather in the area as gusting wind from 15-20 knots and a clear sky.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The wooden propeller was shattered and splintered near the wreckage area. The FAA inspector confirmed continuity of the flight controls. The engine components were continuous from the front to the back when the propeller was rotated by hand. The airplane did not contain a seatbelt.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
An autopsy was performed on the pilot at the Frontier Midwest Morgue, Kansas City, Kansas, on April 19, 2014. The cause of death was blunt traumatic injuries. The FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute completed a Final Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report which revealed no tested for drugs detected.
NTSB Identification: CEN14LA205
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, April 18, 2014 in Hillsboro, KS
Aircraft: QUICKSILVER GT400, registration: -
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On April 18, 2014, about 1345 central daylight time, an unregistered light sport Quicksilver GT400 airplane, collided with a tree and impacted water after takeoff from a private grass strip near Hillsboro, Kansas. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was owned by a private individual and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was destined for Alfred Schroeder Field Airport (M66), Hillsboro, Kansas.
According to a witness, the pilot assembled the airplane prior to departure. After the assembling was complete, the pilot attempted to start the engine. When the engine did not start he poured fuel into the carburetor and the engine started. When the airplane taxied down the runway to prepare for takeoff, the airplane veered off the grass strip. The pilot repositioned the airplane and aligned the airplane for takeoff. After takeoff, the airplane made a steep right turn to the north but did not appear to gain any altitude. The airplane continued north and collided with a tree about 15 feet high. The pilot was ejected from the cockpit and the airplane continued into the pond next to the tree. He noted that the airplane's engine sounded the same throughout the duration of the flight and didn't appear to be malfunctioning.
According to the responding federal aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane did not contain a seatbelt.
The airplane was retained for further examination.
Donald Dahl of Hillsboro died from injuries he suffered in an ultralight plane crash Friday south of Hillsboro. He represented the area in the Kansas House of Representatives for 12 years and before that had a career in aviation for the U.S. Navy.
Vi Dalke’s late husband, Jerry, was a close friend of Dahl’s, growing up together in Hillsboro.
“He was just a good guy,” she said of Dahl. “Very strong in his faith, and when my husband died, I relied on him a lot.
“He had such a quality, he’s a kind of person you want around,” she said. “His values were the best.
“Between him and Jerry, it was such a dry sense of humor.”
After his retirement from the Navy at the rank of commander, Dahl was a member of the American Legion post in Hillsboro. Harvey Ray, 1st vice commander of the post, said Dahl helped with funerals and spoke multiple times at the city’s Memorial Day service.
“He highly respected his activity in the service,” Ray said. “He was a very good man, a good friend. I’ll miss him a lot.”
Hillsboro Mayor Delores Dalke had a working relationship with Dahl, often speaking with him about policy issues that affected the area.
“He did a good job representing this part of the state,” she said.
She said his longevity and leadership in the legislature were a great benefit to his constituents. In his final term in the legislature, he was speaker pro tem, the third-highest leadership position in the House, and he was able to get signs placed on highways pointing to Hillsboro, she said.
“I really miss having him up there,” she said.
She said he was conservative but had a personality that allowed him to work well with Democrats and Republicans. Delores Dalke also said she respected the care he provided for his mother for many years.
“He did everything for her,” she said.
County Commissioner Dan Holub, like Dahl, made a career of service in the Navy, and because of that they had a good rapport when Holub spoke to him about policy issues. Holub said Dahl was more than willing to listen with people who had different viewpoints.
“He didn’t listen with a closed mind,” Holub said.
Even after Dahl left office in 2008, Holub said he provided valuable insight on how the legislature worked and how legislators thought.
Gov. Sam Brownback appointed Dahl to the Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission in December.
“I am greatly saddened to hear of Donald Dahl’s passing today,” Brownback said in a news release Friday. “He had a proud legacy of public service. The lieutenant governor and I extend our personal sympathy to his family and friends.”
Ultralight crash
Friend Arnold Pete Klassen helped Dahl with takeoff in the ultralight plane Friday afternoon at a farm south of Hillsboro.
“There was a brand new engine in it,” Klassen said. “It buzzed beautifully.”
Dahl was turning southwest when he passed out of Klassen’s view.
“I don’t know how he turned that quick, except for maybe the wind,” Klassen said. “I didn’t see it crash. I just heard a bang.”
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Dahl was northbound when the plane hit a tree branch, then hit the ground next to a pond and flipped upside-down and stopped in the pond.
Dahl was taken by ambulance to Hillsboro Community Hospital where he was declared dead about 2:30 p.m. He was 69.
A celebration of life service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the church.
Donald Dahl, 69, of Hillsboro, died at the hospital.
He was flying an ultralight plane northbound at a low altitude about 1:45 p.m. when it hit a tree branch, crashed into the ground next to a pond and then flipped upside down into the pond about two miles south of Hillsboro, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. Dahl was the only person in the plane.
Dahl died surrounded by family, the patrol reported. He was in the U.S. Navy for 22 years before joining the Kansas House of Representatives, where he served from 1996 to 2008.
In 2013, he was appointed by Gov. Sam Brownback to serve the remainder of the late Janet Juhnke’s term on the Supreme Court Nominating Commission.
“I am greatly saddened to hear of Donald Dahl’s passing today,” Brownback said Friday. “He had a proud legacy of public service. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, he served the people of Kansas as a representative for six terms and was a member of the Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission. The lieutenant governor and I extend our personal sympathy to his family and friends.”
Sen. Jerry Moran also released a statement.
“I was disheartened to hear the news of Don Dahl’s passing this afternoon,” Moran said. “Don was a man of principle who served his country and returned home to improve his community and our state. I encourage all Kansans to join Robba and me in keeping his family in our thoughts and prayers during the days ahead.”
