Sonex Tailwheel accident near Burleson, TX
On December 19, 2020, a Sonex Tailwheel (airplane) was involved in an accident near Burleson, TX. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 19, 2020
- Place
- Burleson, TX
- Aircraft
- Sonex Tailwheel · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 32.565°N, 97.308°W
- NTSB ID
- 20201219102435
Official records · CEN21LA092
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Air Traffic Control: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
On December 19, 2020, about 1430 central standard time, a Sonex light sport airplane, N935EK, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Burleson, Texas. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations 91 personal flight. A witness reported that the airplane had been built as a kit and this was the airplane’s first flight. A review of air traffic control information revealed that the pilot contacted the Spinks Airport (FWS) controller and requested to orbit the airport for 30 minutes at 3,500 ft. Shortly after departure, the controller asked if the pilot needed any assistance. The pilot reported that he was unable to climb and needed to return to the airport. The controller cleared the pilot direct to the airport and to land on runway 35. The pilot reported that he had a “sick engine,” and he was “just trying to make the field.” The controller reported to the pilot that smoke appeared to be coming from the engine. A review of Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) data revealed the airplane departed from FWS, turned, and flew south for about 2 miles before it turned north back to the airport. (see Figure 1.) During the forced landing, the airplane impacted powerlines and terrain and came to rest inverted near a business about 1 mile south of the airport. Figure 1: Airplane’s Flight Track An engine examination revealed a light film of oil on the underside of the airplane’s fuselage. No evidence of an inflight fire was observed. A visual inspection of the engine did not reveal any obvious d
Probable cause
A total loss of engine power due to engine seizure. Contributing to the accident was the pilot decision not to orbit the airport, as originally planned.
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Browse: Texas
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
