Amateur-built SONEX accident near Wolcottville, Indiana, August 16, 2015
On August 16, 2015 at about 1:00 am local time, a 2007 amateur-built SONEX, registered N683DB, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Wolcottville, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, a forced off-airport landing, and nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2015 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Wolcottville, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SONEX NO SERIES, built 2007
- Registration
- N683DB · registry record · serial 0691
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a local flight, the pilot reported that his engine quit while maneuvering about 1,200 above ground level. The pilot stated that his only option was to land in a soy bean field, and he attempted to fly as slow as possible prior to touchdown. After rolling about 50 feet in the field the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that for the majority of the 30 minute flight, he was flying with the fuel mixture full rich. He stated that he did not depart with full fuel, and must have been burning fuel at a higher rate than he originally anticipated. According to a Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector, during a postaccident examination the airplane's fuel tanks were empty and no fuel was found at the tank sumps. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The vertical stabilizer and left wing sustained substantial damage.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 900 hours in all; 30 in this make and model
- Last flight review: January 19, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 431 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 3300A (piston); 431 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C62 Kendallville IN
- Destination: C62 Kendallville IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from KANQ, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on October 7, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation (FAA Inspector) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation (Pilot in Command) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Docket Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.