Amateur-built Sonex HB accident near Plainview, Illinois, October 26, 2014
On October 26, 2014 at about 8:50 pm local time, a 2010 amateur-built Sonex HB, registered N244HB, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Plainview, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power during cruise flight due to a fatigue fracture of the crankshaft, which resulted in a forced landing on unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2014 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Plainview, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Sonex HB, built 2010
- Registration
- N244HB · no longer on the register · serial 24
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot and a sport pilot-rated passenger were conducting a personal cross-country flight in the experimental amateur-built airplane, which was powered by an uncertified automotive engine. The airplane was in cruise flight when it experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot(s) attempted a forced landing on a field, during which the airplane nosed over. The wreckage path through the field was about 200 ft long, which was consistent with excessive energy/speed upon touchdown. A review of maintenance logbook entries revealed that the engine had been assembled by the owner and that the camshaft and crankshaft had been removed when work was performed on the engine about 3 years before the accident. Postaccident examination of the engine indicated that the crankshaft had fractured due to a fatigue crack that had initiated at a fillet radius at the forward end of the No. 2 main bearing journal where the journal transitioned to the forward cheek. The cause of the fatigue crack could not be determined.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute (descent)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy terrain › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Injury: fatal
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: Taylorville IL
- Destination: St. Charles MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.