Pilot Debrief

QUICKSILVER II near Spring, TX — 2026-01-20

Investigation ongoingCEN26LA097
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Date
2026-01-20
Location
Spring, TX, USA
Airport
DWH
Aircraft
QUICKSILVER II
Registration
N4NH
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

NTSB narrative

On January 20,2026, 1658 central standard time, a Quicksilver II, N4NH, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident at David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport, DWH, in Spring, Texas. The pilot, sole occupant, sustained no injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot departed runway 17L with intentions of staying in the traffic pattern and making a water landing at the adjacent water runway at the airport. After retracting the landing gear, the engine ran very rough and lost power from the normal 6,500 rpm to about 1,800 rpm. The airplane was about 100 ft above ground level (agl) as the pilot lowered the nose and prepared for landing on the remaining runway. The airplane landed hard on the left side of the runway with the wings level and the landing gear still retracted. The airplane continued into the grass on the left side of runway 17L and came to rest near taxiway H. Just before touchdown, the engine power began to recover, and the engine returned to full power as the airplane was sliding on its floats. The pilot closed the throttle to idle, turned off the engine, and exited the airplane. During the hard landing the aluminum tubes from the rear engine area to the main landing gear were bent. The engine was displaced aft and the propeller contacted the elevator control tube and severed it. The elevator control horn was fractured and the elevator trim cable was damaged by contact with the propeller. The pilot also reported that several aluminum structural tubes were bent. He stated that there was no other damage to the airplane. The pilot, with the help of ground personnel, lowered the landing gear, and returned the airplane to the hangar for further inspection.

Preliminary NTSB coding

  • Loss of engine power (partial) · Takeoff
  • Loss of Thrust on Takeoff
View NTSB preliminary report

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