SonexBuilders.net

Just caught the NTSB report this morning and Thomas Huebbe (Missouri) received fatal injuries in an off airport emergency landing in Illinois on the 26th. His son John was a passenger and survived but is in the hospital. Reportedly due to loss of engine power - root cause yet to be determined. Landing in corn field and plane went over on it's top.

Our sympathies to his family, and I hope that John recovers okay.

Lorin Miller
N81YX

No words to describe the sadness I find for having learned this. Prayers for the family.

http://www.baue.com/obituary/thomas-e-huebbe/#

Dale

A paragon of our community has passed. What a tragedy on so many levels! I never met Tom personally, but through his many contributions he felt like an old friend and mentor. I will miss him like I would miss a member of my family.

We have suffered a devastating loss to our tight knit community - heartfelt prayers to the family and friends.


Robbie Culver
Sonex 1517
Chicagoland
Tails and Wings complete - finishing fuselage.
N1517S reserved

Here is the NTSB report: It describes John's injury as "minor". Is he still hospitalized?


Huebbe Sonex HB, N244HB: Accident occurred October 26, 2014 in Plainview, Illinois
MARK M. HUEBBE: http://registry.faa.gov/N244HB

NTSB Identification: CEN15LA028
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, October 26, 2014 in Plainview, IL
Aircraft: HUEBBE Sonex HB, registration: N244HB
Injuries: 1 Fatal,1 Minor.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On November 26, 2014, at 1550 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Huebbe Sonex HB, N244HB, nosed-over during a forced on a field during near Plainview, Illinois. The airplane experienced a total loss of engine power during cruise flight. The pilot sustained fatal injuries and a passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under Title 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight that was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed from Taylorville, Illinois, and was destined to St. Charles, Missouri.

Very sorry to hear of this. I didn't meet Tom (i don't think), but I knew him through his videos which were delightful. I wish his son has a speedy recovery.

AP

Another engine failure.
I believe N244HB was the tri-gear(the Heubbe family had 2 Sonex's), this one was equipped with a Great Plains VW.

RIP Tom.

.

Happy to discuss that on a different thread. Start one and I will contribute.

AP

Thanks everyone for your kind words.

I was acting as PIC. My father and I successfully landed in a half harvested corn field but couldn't get stopped before the corn. Either the nose wheel digging into the field and/or hitting the corn caused the plane to flip upside down. It was actually a very soft roll over and we were almost slowed down before the corn (maybe 20mph). Neither of us panicked when it happened, we had plenty of altitude to find the best closest field. Engine quit was very sudden and little warning.

Just a tragedy that my father passed away. I walked away uninjured and only have scrapes on my hands from the broken canopy and corn stalks (those can be deceptively sharp).