Probable cause
The pilot's inability to maintain airplane control after inadvertently landing in an area of deep snow on a frozen lake.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that, after a local flight, he decided to land on a snow-covered frozen lake. The airplane landed in 18-inch-deep snow and nosed down shortly after touchdown, which resulted in damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that, earlier in the day, he had been flying a powered-parachute (not the accident airplane) from a different area of the same frozen lake that only had 1 to 2 inches of snow cover, which led him to believe it would be safe to land during the accident flight. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN14LA146 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Feb 15, 2014
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Holland, Michigan
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
QUICKSILVER MX II
- N-number
- N94567
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2003
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.