Amateur-built SONERAI I accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico, September 2, 1996
On September 2, 1996, a amateur-built SONERAI I, registered N103HJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper planning/decision, which resulted in fuel exhaustion due to an inadequate supply of fuel. The lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 1996
- Place
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SONERAI I
- Registration
- N103HJ · registry record · serial 003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on a flight from Questa, New Mexico, to Moriarty, New Mexico. After departing Questa, an intermediate stop was made at Taos Municipal Airport, Taos, New Mexico, for fuel; however, there was no fuel available. Approximately 24 minutes after departing Taos, while in cruise flight at 9,500 feet MSL, the engine lost power. A forced landing was made in an open field, and during the landing roll, the airplane 'flipped over the nose.' A witness reported hearing the airplane's engine 'stop,' and observed the airplane in a 'glide.' The witness also heard the engine 'start and stop' several times. An examination of the fuel system revealed that the expansion fuel cap had separated during ground impact, and the only evidence of fuel was a slight odor. The pilot reported that there was no fuel visible on the clear plastic tube, which served as a fuel quantity gauge at the time the engine lost 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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 650 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 126 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 26, 1996; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 850 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SKX Taos NM at 11:41 pm
- Destination: 0E0 Moriarty NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from SAF, 6 miles away
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.
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 FTW96LA367.