Amateur-built SONEX accident near Leesburg, Virginia, April 22, 2017
On April 22, 2017 at about 1:15 pm local time, a 2017 amateur-built SONEX, registered N212AG, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Leesburg, Virginia (Leesburg 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 use carburetor heat appropriately, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to the formation of carburetor ice.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 2017 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Leesburg, Virginia · Leesburg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SONEX NO SERIES, built 2017
- Registration
- N212AG · registry record · serial 1470
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot checked the weather conditions before departure for the personal flight, and he noted that it was drizzling but that the cloud/ceilings were "good." Once airborne, the weather conditions began to deteriorate, and the pilot chose to return to the airport. The pilot added that, while the airplane was on final approach to land at 700 ft above ground level (agl), the engine "just stopped." The pilot attempted to restart the engine to no avail, and he subsequently initiated a forced landing just short of the runway. The pilot said that the airplane "ran out of airspeed" when it was about 100 ft agl and that it then landed hard and slid about 100 ft before coming to a stop. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Weather conditions reported at the time of the accident were conducive for serious icing at cruise power. The pilot acknowledged that the weather conditions were conducive to carburetor icing but that he did not apply carburetor heat until he tried to restart the engine, and even then, that he did not use full carburetor heat. Therefore, it is likely that carburetor ice accumulated during the flight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
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
- Other weather encounter during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 932 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 854 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 11, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 72 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 3, 2016; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ganjoo Convair (piston); 72 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JYO Leesburg VA at 12:45 pm
- Destination: MTV Martinsville VA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,400 ft; scat at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 pm from JYO, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on December 11, 2018. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Carburetor Icing Probability Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Memorandum for Record- Engine Examination (NTSB) | 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.
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.