Olson/Williams SONEX accident near Jaffrey, New Hampshire, June 5, 2026
On June 5, 2026 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 2007 Olson/Williams SONEX, registered N28YD, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Jaffrey, New Hampshire (Jaffrey Airfield Silver Ranch). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2026 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Jaffrey, New Hampshire · Jaffrey Airfield Silver Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Olson/Williams SONEX, built 2007
- Registration
- N28YD · registry record · serial 533
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On June 5, 2026, at 1100 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Sonex airplane, N28YD, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Jaffrey, New Hampshire. The private pilot was seriously injured. The flight was conducted as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot, who was also the owner of the airplane said he planned to depart the Jaffrey Airfield Silver Ranch Airport (AFN), Jaffrey, New Hampshire, for a short flight in the local area. After he performed a pre-flight inspection of the airplane, which included checking the fuel for adequate quantity and for contamination, the pilot started the engine and back-taxied to the end of runway 34. Prior to departure, he performed an engine run-up, and everything was normal. During the subsequent takeoff when the airplane reached about 100 ft above the ground, the engine “unexpectedly stopped.” With no runway remaining to land, and buildings in front of him, he attempted to land in a field off to his left. The pilot had no further memory of the accident sequence. A witness, who watched the airplane depart, said that when the airplane reached about 100 ft above the ground, the engine made two “putt, putt, putt” sounds and went silent. He thought the engine started again but only momentarily. The airplane turned left and the witness thought the airplane was going to impact trees. He grabbed a fire extinguisher and responded to the field where the airplane crashed. The witness later observed the fuel selector in the “on” position and turned it off to prevent spillage or fire. The airplane came to rest upright in the opposite direction of travel, and there was no postimpact fire. The left wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The canopy was shattered and the engine was displaced aft and twisted in its mounts. The airplane wreckage was retained for further examination.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during takeoff defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 367 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 22, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16/3, 2,982 ft by 134 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 80°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:00 am from AFN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA26LA231.