Amateur-built SONERAI II accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico, February 16, 1983
On February 16, 1983 at about 8:00 pm local time, a amateur-built SONERAI II, registered N1390A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico (Crawford airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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
- February 16, 1983 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Las Cruces, New Mexico · Crawford · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SONERAI II
- Registration
- N1390A · registry record · serial 711
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NEW HOME BUILT ACFT HAD ONLY 2.5 HRS TOTAL FLT TIME. AFTER A TEST FLT, THE PLT WAS ON THE LANDING ROLL WHEN HE LOST CONTROL AT APRX 35 MPH. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT GROUND LOOPED & NOSED OVER ON ITS TOP. THE PLT REPORTED THAT LOSS OF CONTROL OCCURRED AFTER A STEERING ARM FAILED ON THE TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY.
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: 574 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 524 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 25 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, March 26, 1982; 25 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen VW (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 7,494 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 3 knots, gusting 4
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 30°F (-1°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 N1390A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 FTW83LA122.