Amateur-built SONEX accident near Burnet, Texas, November 14, 2009
On November 14, 2009 at about 6:15 pm local time, a amateur-built SONEX, registered N10DA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Burnet, Texas (Burnet Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control, resulting in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the loss of engine power due to a clogged fuel screen that resulted in fuel starvation caused by the builder's inappropriate use of a fuel tank sealant in a plastic tank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 2009 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Burnet, Texas · Burnet Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SONEX
- Registration
- N10DA · no longer on the register · serial 332
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to several witnesses, the pilot radioed that he was experiencing a loss of engine power and was attempting a forced landing. Witnesses who saw the airplane reported that during the forced landing attempt the nose of airplane dropped and the airplane subsequently impacted terrain in a nose-low attitude. An examination of the flight controls and airframe structure revealed no preaccident anomalies that would have prevented the pilot from maintaining aircraft control. An examination of the engine and fuel system revealed a white substance inside the main fuel tank which had clogged the fuel screen. Laboratory examination of this substance revealed that it was polyurethane. The sealant used to seal the fuel tank contained polyurethane designed to be used to bond the sealant to a metal tank. The airframe builder added this sealant to the accident airplane's plastic (polyethylene) tank when he encountered a leak within the fuel system at the fuel fitting. An examination of the remaining engine and systems revealed no anomalies.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Failure
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel filter › strainer › Capability exceeded
- Organizational issues › Development › Design › Equipment design › Manufacturer
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 12,125 hours in all
- Last flight review: August 22, 2006
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 190 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 6, 2009
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 3300A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 44TE Kingsland TX at 5:45 pm
- Destination: Spicewood TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots, gusting 14
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 6:10 pm from KBQM, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N10DA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.