Amateur-built SONERAI II-L accident near Bicknell, Indiana, April 17, 1998
On April 17, 1998 at about 8:45 pm local time, a amateur-built SONERAI II-L, registered N247RJ, was destroyed in an accident near Bicknell, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot misjudged his altitude and airspeed during an emergency landing attempt. Factors associated with this accident were a manufacturing defect in the magneto drive coupling and a total failure of the ignition system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 1998 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bicknell, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SONERAI II-L SONERAI II
- Registration
- N247RJ · registry record · serial 999
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While at cruise altitude, the pilot said he noticed a burning smell after he had operated the experimental airplane's auxiliary fuel pump. He said he did not notice any changes in the engine indications. He said, 'Approximately 1-minute later I noticed the reduction in engine power... .' He said he decided to make a precautionary landing on a road. When the pilot reduced the engine's power setting, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot said the airplane '...built up excessive speed...' during its descent. During the landing, the airplane encountered ground affect and did not touch down as the pilot had intended. While in ground affect the airplane collided with a telephone pole and bridge frame before colliding with a ditch and coming to rest. The on-scene investigation revealed that the airplane's engine driven magneto experienced a drive coupling failure. The coupling had fractured into 4 pieces. One face on two of the four pieces had a surface with beach marks on them and no shear lips along their edges. These two faces matched each other. The remaining fracture surfaces had a coarse texture with shear lips along their edges.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 460 hours in all; 176 in this make and model; 406 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 161 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 31, 1997; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 950 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen 2020 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DVK Junction City KY at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N247RJ 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.