Amateur-built Sonerai accident near Hood River, Oregon, July 11, 2008
On July 11, 2008 at about 6:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Sonerai, registered N8050R, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Hood River, Oregon (Ken Jernstedt Airfield). 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the emergency landing roll with a tailwind. Contributing was the partial separation of the left aileron that prompted the pilot to attempt the emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2008 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hood River, Oregon · Ken Jernstedt Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Sonerai
- Registration
- N8050R · registry record · serial EJ02
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the control stick unexpectedly began buffeting while the airplane was cruising at 3,500 feet mean sea level and 120 miles per hour, and he noticed that the left aileron was becoming detached at its outboard hinge. The pilot immediately flew toward a nearby airfield and conducted an emergency landing. The pilot said he observed that another airplane had previously landed in the opposite direction on the same runway, so to ensure adequate clearance from that airplane he landed on the right side of the runway. The pilot additionally reported that he "flew" his airplane onto the runway and landed with a tailwind at a faster than normal airspeed. During rollout, the airplane veered off the side of the runway, encountered an area of soft dirt, and nosed over. The pilot further reported that he observed that the outboard of three aileron hinges was separated from the wing. The pilot opined that the location of the hinges on the aileron may not have been adequate to support the aileron during flight.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Wing structure › Ailerons › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 600 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A&C65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BKE Baker City OR at 5:00 pm
- Destination: 4S2 Hood River OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,040 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from CZK, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.