Quicksilver Mfg MXL II SPORT N187AB accident near Live Oak, California

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to compensate for turbulent conditions, which resulted in a loss of altitude.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he departed the airstrip, and the airplane experienced light turbulence. He entered a left traffic pattern to the downwind leg, and the turbulence stopped. After executing a touch-and-go landing, the pilot departed to the south. Subsequently, between 50 and 100 feet above ground level, the airplane began to lose lift. The pilot landed the airplane in a rice field, it nosed over as the wheels contacted the vegetation, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR13CA019 for the full record.