Amateur-built SONERAI 2L accident near Titusville, Florida, September 20, 2012
On September 20, 2012 at about 1:40 pm local time, a amateur-built SONERAI 2L, registered N127JS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Titusville, Florida (Artur Dunn Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to attain the proper landing approach speed and touchdown point, which resulted in a runway excursion after touchdown and collision with a ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 2012 · about 1:40 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Titusville, Florida · Artur Dunn Airpark · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SONERAI 2L
- Registration
- N127JS · no longer on the register · serial 064
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he flew a faster-than-normal approach due to his concerns about a possible fuel leak and a subsequent no-fuel situation, which resulted in the airplane landing long on the runway. The pilot stated that he ran off the right side of the runway when he realized he could not stop airplane on the runway. The airplane then collided with a ditch. Examination of the fuel tanks revealed that fuel was present; however, an accurate amount of remaining fuel could not be determined. The pilot's report of a fuel smell in the cockpit could not be confirmed because postaccident examination did not reveal any source of leakage or defects with the fuel system. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact anomalies or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 143 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 1, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ama/Expr UNKNOWN ENG (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X21 Titusville FL
- Destination: X21 Titusville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 2,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 1:16 pm from Ktts, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on November 14, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Form 6120. | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Field Notes. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | METAR Report. | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1: Damaged Cockpit (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2: View of Cockpit, Aft Looking Forward. (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 3: Damaged Engine Section. (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 4: Empennage Section with Damaged Tailwheel. (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo 5: Buckled Fuselage Where Wing and Landing Gear Attach. (Courtesy of FAA). | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photo 6: Damaged Pilot Seat. (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N127JS: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Engine: Ama/Expr UNKNOWN ENG · as the NTSB recorded it
- Arthur Dunn Air Park Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 985 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,699 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA12LA586.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.