Sonex WAIEX N12YX
3 August 2016 · Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 3 August 2016 at about 16:55 local time, a Sonex WAIEX registered N12YX, operated by Sonex Ltd, was involved in an accident near Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:55
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States
- Nearest airport
- Fond du Lac County (FLD)
- Coordinates
- 43.7703, -88.5014
- Aircraft
- Sonex WAIEX
- Registration
- N12YX
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2003
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Sonex Ltd
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Fond du Lac → Oshkosh
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN16LA302
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
A partial loss of engine for reasons that could not be determined during an examination of the engine.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Shortly after takeoff on an instructional flight, the pilots heard a sudden change in engine noise. The instructor scanned the engine instruments and observed that the engine rpm was lower than expected. The instructor took control of the airplane and attempted to return to the airport. The airplane was not able to maintain altitude, and the instructor could not restore engine power to full. Unable to reach the airport, the instructor initiated a forced landing to a field. During the approach, the airplane collided with a power transmission line and impacted terrain. An examination of the engine found that the Nos. 1 and 2 exhaust valves displayed excessive wear. While such wear will result in a loss of engine power, it could not be determined what caused the sudden change in noise and engine power that the pilots experienced on the day of the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Sonex WAIEX accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Mar 2021 | Sonex WAIEX | Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Nov 2021 | Sonex WAIEX B | Laveen Village, Arizona, United States | Air-Spaces LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 2022 | Sonex WAIEX | Maxwell, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Feb 2008 | Sonex WAIEX | New Smyrna Bch., Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jul 2016 | Piper PA 25-235 | Arlington, Wisconsin, United States | Kazs Flying Service Ltd. | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 2016 | Boyd Kenneth C RANS S-19 | Ephraim, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 May 2016 | Beechcraft A23-24 | Clintonville, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Feb 2016 | Piper PA 28-140 | Sturtevant, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 2016 | Aeronca 7BCM | Rochester, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 2016 | Brandt SONEX | Lodi, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |