# Accident 19970622015241A: Amtr SONERAI, Westhampton Bea, NY, June 22, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 22, 1997, 16:00 local time
- Place: Westhampton Bea, NY
- Airport: The Francis S Gabreski Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Collision: Midair collision, first aircraft
- Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.8299° N, 72.6509° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.8299&lon=-72.6509&mi=10
- Aircraft: N77TY, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N77TY-2014-11-26) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Smith Randolph C SONERAI-I (registry code 05659L3, https://openairdocs.org/model/smith-randolph-c-sonerai-i) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Volkswagen CONVERSION (registry code 63501, https://openairdocs.org/engine/volkswagen-conversion) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR SONERAI
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 3,600 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC97LA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97LA125) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970622015241A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

DURING AN AIR SHOW COLLIDED IN MID AIR WITH N20CS. (.4)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.

## Other aircraft in the event

- N20CS, Amtr SONERAI: [Accident 19970622015242A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970622015242A)

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC97LA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97LA125), Jun 22, 1997: Smith SONERAI-I (N77TY), W.Hampton Beach, NY, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: 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…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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