Sonex SONEX N1557S

Summary

On 29 July 2022 at about 11:52 local time, a Sonex SONEX registered N1557S was involved in an accident near River Falls, Wisconsin, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 July 2022 at 11:52

Classification

Accident

Location

River Falls, Wisconsin, United States

Coordinates

44.8216, -92.6449

Aircraft

Sonex SONEX

Registration

N1557S

Category

Airplane

Year built

2020

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

South St. Paul → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA353

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot completed the preflight inspection with no issues noted; the airplane had about 10.3 gallons of fuel onboard for the local flight test. The airplane departed and, after flying for between 30 and 45 minutes, the pilot decided to return to the airport. Shortly thereafter, the engine sustained a total loss of power. The pilot reported that the engine did not emit any noises, nor did he notice a drop in the engine’s rpm. The pilot tried restarting the engine three times. Although the engine would “turn over,” it would not start. The pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a corn field. During the landing, the right wing impacted a traffic sign and the airplane came to rest upright in a grass ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and the fuselage. The on-site examination of the airplane found no fuel inside of the fuel tank; the fuel tank was not compromised. There were no signs of a fuel leak on the airframe or from the engine, nor were there any signs of a fuel leak or spillage on the ground at the accident site. During a postaccident examination, the fuel line to the carburetor was removed and no fuel was observed. No fuel was observed from the fuel supply line to the strainer. The bowl from the strainer was removed and no fuel was found. There were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.