Amateur-built SONERIA accident near Lake Charles, Louisiana, October 21, 1990
On October 21, 1990 at about 4:50 pm local time, a amateur-built SONERIA, registered N184TJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Charles, Louisiana (Lake Charles Regional 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
A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. A FACTOR WAS THE PROXIMITY OF THE CROWD AND OTHER AIRPLANES IN THE RACE DURING THE FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 1990 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Charles, Louisiana · Lake Charles Regional
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SONERIA
- Registration
- N184TJ · no longer on the register · serial 453
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE AND SEVEN OTHER FORMULA A RACERS TOOK OFF AND HEADED FOR THE 'SCATTER PLYON.' INITIALLY THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE AND HE INITIATED A TURN TOWARD THE AIRPORT. AS HE CLEARED TREES TOTAL POWER LOSS OCCURRED. THE FORCED LANDING WAS COMPLICATED BY THE PROXIMITY OF THE CROWD AND OTHER RACERS. IMPACT OCCURRED SLIGHTLY NOSE LOW. FAA INSPECTORS EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE BUT FOUND NO REASON FOR THE POWER LOSS.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,732 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 380 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 8,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 68 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, October 18, 1990; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen 1600CC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 19 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.