- Date
- October 21, 1990, 11:50 local (16:50 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Charles, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N184TJMonnett Soneria
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901021046559A
- Case key
- 23220
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A total loss of power for unknown reasons. A factor was the proximity of the crowd and other airplanes in the race during the forced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The accident airplane and seven other formula a racers took off and headed for the 'scatter plyon.' Initially the pilot experienced a rough running engine and he initiated a turn toward the airport. As he cleared trees total power loss occurred. The forced landing was complicated by the proximity of the crowd and other racers. Impact occurred slightly nose low. FAA inspectors examined the wreckage but found no reason for the power loss.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N184TJ
- Reported as
- Monnett Soneria
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 453
- Airframe hours
- 68
- Engine
- Volkswagen 1600CC, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Carl J. Swenson, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · October 18, 1990 · 1 hours before
- Airport
- LCH · Lake Charles Regional
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 8,732 total · 2 in this make and model · 8,300 as pilot in command · 380 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 19 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LCH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.