Sonerai SONERAI IIB N224RB

Summary

On 20 July 2003 at about 23:30 local time, a Sonerai SONERAI IIB registered N224RB was involved in an accident near Lakeland, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 July 2003 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Lakeland, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Lakeland Linder Regional (KLAL)

Coordinates

27.7194, -81.6103

Aircraft

Sonerai SONERAI IIB

Registration

N224RB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lakeland → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA03LA146

1 person died.

The pilot's decision to conduct low level flight and his failure to maintain obstacle clearance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Preliminary reports from the Polk County Sheriff's Office stated that the experimental airplane struck power lines at an estimated height of 35 feet above the ground with the right wing tip, resulting in an uncontrolled descent in a field. A witness stated she observed a small bright yellow airplane around 1925 on night of the accident flying just over her residence. It caught her attention due to how low the airplane was flying just above the trees. She added, "I watched him head west at the same altitude for a very short distance and did a 90 degree bank to the left, then another to the right , after that he was completely out of sight." Several witnesses stated to the Polk County Sheriff Officer they observed the airplane perform what appeared to be "stunts or tricks" before descending toward the ground. They never saw the airplane impact the ground but observed the airplane in an open field. Pieces of the airplane were found next to the road as the witnesses headed toward the wreckage to check on the person aboard. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that responded to the accident stated the power lines were located along Moore road 15 miles north of the Lakeland Airport, Lakeland, Florida. The airplane lost a portion of the right wing at the site of the power lines and continued west about 1/4 mile before it impacted with the ground. The postmortem examination of the pilot listed cause of death was multiple blunt force traumatic injuries sustained during an airplane crash. FAA toxicology analyses were negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, cyanide, and specific drugs.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.