Amateur-built SONERAI II LT accident near Highlands Ranch, Colorado, March 29, 2014
On March 29, 2014 at about 8:40 pm local time, a 1999 amateur-built SONERAI II LT, registered N63917, was destroyed in an accident during emergency descent near Highlands Ranch, Colorado (Centennial 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 loss of control during a forced landing following a loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined due to postimpact fire damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 2014 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Highlands Ranch, Colorado · Centennial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SONERAI II LT 2LT, built 1999
- Registration
- N63917 · no longer on the register · serial 00024
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On the morning of the accident, the pilot terminated his first flight early due to a fuel leak in the fuel tank sight gauge. The pilot made a repair before taking off for a second flight. During the second flight, witnesses reported seeing the airplane in distress and hearing the engine sputtering as it approached an open field. The airplane overflew a set of power lines before rolling and impacting terrain, consistent with the pilot reducing the airspeed in an attempt to clear the power lines during a forced landing and subsequently stalling the airplane. The majority of the airplane fuselage and cockpit were consumed by a postimpact fire. Flight control continuity was verified from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces. Examination of the fuel system and engine were limited due to the fire damage, and a reason for the apparent loss of engine power could not be determined. The pilot hadn't flown in 10 years and had recently purchased the airplane. The pilot logged one flight with an instructor about 2 months before the accident, and he had not logged experience in the airplane type before the day of the accident.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during emergency descent defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Recent experience › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 573 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 515 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 1, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen CONVERSION (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA Highlands Ranch CO at 8:30 pm
- Destination: APA Highlands Ranch CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KAPA, 8 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.
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.