Amateur-built SONEX accident near Langley, Washington, October 11, 2019
On October 11, 2019 at about 10:30 pm local time, a 2014 amateur-built SONEX, registered N612RF, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Langley, Washington (Whidbey Air Park airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper approach path, which resulted in impact with a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2019 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Langley, Washington · Whidbey Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SONEX, built 2014
- Registration
- N612RF · no longer on the register · serial 1559
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while on left base leg in the traffic pattern, the airplane was high. He made a 270° descending right turn to final and added 20° of flaps. The airplane descended faster than expected, and the left wing struck a tree. The airplane then impacted terrain and came to rest inverted, and a postcrash fire ensued. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 160.3 hours in all; 1.7 in this make and model; 4.3 in the last 90 days; 160.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 23, 2019
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4.5 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Aerovee Aerovee 2.1 (piston); 4 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: W10 Langley WA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: W10 Langley WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 2,470 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KPAE, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 11, 2019. 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 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 pages | 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.