Amateur-built SONERAI-I and Smith SONERAI-I mid-air collision near W.Hampton Beach, New York, June 22, 1997
On June 22, 1997 at about 8:00 pm local time, 2 aircraft, amateur-built SONERAI-I (N20CS) and Smith SONERAI-I (N77TY), were involved in a mid-air collision near W.Hampton Beach, New York (Francis S Gabreski airport). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the number two pilot (N77TY) to follow race procedures, and failure of the number three pilot (N20CS) to turn and avoid the number two airplane, when it decelerated into the number three pilot's blind spot.
failure of the number two pilot (N77TY) to follow race procedures, and failure of the number three pilot (N20CS) to turn and avoid the number two airplane, when it decelerated into the number three pilot's blind spot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 1997 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- W.Hampton Beach, New York · Francis S Gabreski · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Amateur-built SONERAI-I
- Registration
- N20CS · registry record · serial 329
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Smith SONERAI-I, amateur-built
- Registration
- N77TY · no longer on the register · serial 434
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the amateur-built SONERAI-I final · quoted from the NTSB record
Four homebuilt, low wing airplanes, were being used to participate in an air race, conducted by the Formula V Air Racing Association. After crossing the finish line, while banking left at the first set of pylons, the number two and number three airplanes collided. Race procedures were for the pilots to maintain power and airspeed, while climbing to enter a landing traffic pattern. According to the fourth place pilot, the number two airplane, a Smith Sonerai-I, N77TY, decelerated, pitched nose up, and collided with the number three airplane, a Shafer Sonerai-I, N20CS. During deceleration, the number two airplane was below number three, and it entered the 'blind area' of number three. The number three pilot did not maneuver to maintain visual contact with number two. The design of the FAA approved race course included a 500 foot safety zone between the flight path of the airplanes and the spectators. Wreckage of both airplanes came to rest outside the safety zone, where spectators could have positioned themselves.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Smith SONERAI-I final · quoted from the NTSB record
Four homebuilt, low wing airplanes, were being used to participate in an air race, conducted by the Formula V Air Racing Association. After crossing the finish line, while banking left at the first set of pylons, the number two and number three airplanes collided. Race procedures were for the pilots to maintain power and airspeed, while climbing to enter a landing traffic pattern. According to the fourth place pilot, the number two airplane, a Smith Sonerai-I, N77TY, decelerated, pitched nose up, and collided with the number three airplane, a Shafer Sonerai-I, N20CS. During deceleration, the number two airplane was below number three, and it entered the 'blind area' of number three. The number three pilot did not maneuver to maintain visual contact with number two. The design of the FAA approved race course included a 500 foot safety zone between the flight path of the airplanes and the spectators. Wreckage of both airplanes came to rest outside the safety zone, where spectators could have positioned themselves.
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 for the amateur-built SONERAI-I from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,079 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FOK at 7:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:02 pm from FOK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
The factual record for the Smith SONERAI-I from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FOK at 7:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
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.