Pilot Made A Low Pass Over The Airport In An Effort To Evaluate The Wind Conditions

Location: Jean, NV Accident Number: WPR22LA142
Date & Time: April 3, 2022, 13:10 Local Registration: N333BM
Aircraft: Barber Robert L Sonerai II L Injuries: 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On April 03, 2022, at 1310 Pacific daylight time, a Sonerai IIL, N333BM, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Jean, Nevada. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot stated that he departed from Kingman, Arizona with the intention of landing at his home airport in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Prior to the flight, he added 3.8 gallons of fuel, but did not know the total amount of fuel on board at the time of departure. While en route, the pilot opted to divert to Jean, Nevada because of the gusty wind conditions in Kingman. During the flight, he noted that there were strong headwinds but thought he had adequate fuel onboard. When arriving in the proximately of Jean, the pilot made a low pass over the airport in an effort to evaluate the wind conditions. While maneuvering to land on runway 20, the engine experienced a loss of power. The pilot was unable to maintain level altitude and collided with the desert terrain about 0.5 miles north of the approach end of the runway.

The aircraft was retained pending further examination and research.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov