Amateur-built SONERAI II accident near Pulaski, Tennessee, July 16, 2013
On July 16, 2013 at about 1:05 pm local time, a amateur-built SONERAI II, registered N788T, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Pulaski, Tennessee (Abernathy Fielld 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 airspeed during a near-vertical climb after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2013 · about 1:05 pm local time
- Place
- Pulaski, Tennessee · Abernathy Fielld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SONERAI II
- Registration
- N788T · no longer on the register · serial 788
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported seeing the airplane stop on the runway and the engine stop producing power during the takeoff. The private pilot/owner subsequently deplaned and hand propped the engine, which was not equipped with an electric starter, to restart it. The pilot continued the takeoff in tailwind conditions on the 2,500 feet of remaining up-sloping runway. The airplane lifted off the runway in a near-vertical climb and traveled about 2,900 feet before it rolled left and descended vertically to the ground. Flight control continuity was established during postaccident examinations; however, the engine could not be examined due to fire and impact damage. The airplane's previous owner described the airplane's design as inherently unstable and stated that higher airspeeds were required to maintain stability in all phases of flight and that the wing would dip very quickly in a stall.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 120 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: March 28, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 2012
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ama/Expr UNKNOWN ENG (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: GZS Pulaski TN at 1:05 pm
- Destination: GZS Pulaski TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 5,310 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from GZS
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.