Amateur-built SONERAI II accident near Castroville, Texas, April 19, 1985
On April 19, 1985 at about 10:00 pm local time, a amateur-built SONERAI II, registered N541DM, was destroyed in an accident near Castroville, Texas (Castroville Municipal 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 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 1985 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Castroville, Texas · Castroville Municipal · 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
- N541DM · no longer on the register · serial 7935 EVAS
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, AFTER LIFT-OFF FROM THE 5,000 FT LONG RWY, THE ACFT WAS IN GROUND EFFECT PRIOR TO AN UNCONTROLLED RIGHT ROLL. THE ACFT IMPACTED THE GROUND RIGHT WING FIRST. THE PLT REPORTED 2 HRS EXPERIENCE IN THE ACFT AND NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS.
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: 201 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 118 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 94 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 20 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen 1850 CC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°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.
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.