Amateur-built SONEX accident near Upland, California, April 27, 2020
On April 27, 2020 at about 3:20 pm local time, a 2016 amateur-built SONEX, registered N1222C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Upland, California (Cable airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A gradual loss of engine power during takeoff due to the pressure regulator not keeping continuous fuel pressure which led to a precautionary off airport landing and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 2020 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Upland, California · Cable · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SONEX, built 2016
- Registration
- N1222C · registry record · serial 1662
- 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 he returned from a local flight and was practicing touch-and-go landings. During the second takeoff, as the airplane gained altitude, the engine began to gradually lose power. Unable to return to the runway, the pilot initiated a precautionary landing to a strip of gravel that is perpendicular to the runway. During the landing, the right wing was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that he did not believe there was problem with the engine, but that the problem was with the fuel-to-air mixture caused by the fuel pressure regulator not keeping a continuous constant pressure that led to the gradual loss of engine 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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel pressure indicating › Damaged/degraded
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 639 hours in all; 166 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 25, 2019
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 130 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 16, 2020
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 3300 (piston); 127 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CCB Upland CA
- Destination: CCB Upland CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,863 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from KCCB
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.
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 WPR20CA132.