Sonoma Skypark, Sonoma, CA

Location :  The Sonoma Skypark is located 3 miles south east of Sonoma, California.

History :  The Sonoma Skypark opened in 1965.

Sonoma Skypark Airport Today:  Night operations prohibited; No Helicopters; No Ultralights;



Airport Services and Amenities:  Plane Maintenance Service; Skypark Aviation, LLC; Sonoma Skypark; Food and lodging within 3 miles;

Special Events and Attractions: Historic Town Square; Jack London State Park; Traintown; Wine Tasting;

Airport Area Accident History:

Accident occurred Sunday, April 05, 2009 in Sonoma, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 6/11/2009
Aircraft: BEECH A36, registration: N100VH
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The pilot departed on a local flight. He indicated that the winds were getting stronger and had shifted as he returned to the airport. He overflew the field, but the windsock still indicated that 26 was the preferred runway. He turned final at 80 knots with the landing gear and flaps down. The airplane bounced on touchdown, turned to the left side of the runway, and veered off the pavement into grass. As the airplane was slowing down through 15 knots, it encountered a drainage ditch, spun around, and ended up on its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, and the landing gear from one wing and the nose was sheared off. The pilot indicated that a slower approach speed might have prevented the accident. In his written report, the pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures.
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Accident occurred Tuesday, January 01, 2008 in Sonoma, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/30/2008
Aircraft: Barnard/Stancil Glastar, registration: N15EX
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.
The pilots were attending a fly-in at the airport. One pilot in a low-wing airplane was landing, and the other pilot in a high-wing airplane was departing. The runup area for the landing runway is situated at the beginning of the runway so following a runup, a pilot can depart straight from the runup area onto the runway. A witness said that the landing pilot had made radio transmissions around the traffic pattern and then indicated that he was on final approach for landing. When the landing pilot was on short final, the departing pilot indicated that he was departing. The witness was flying above the airport and advised the departing pilot that an airplane was landing. The airplanes collided shortly thereafter. According to 14 CFR 91.113, Right-of-way rules: Except water operations, "Aircraft, while on final approach to land or while landing, have the right-of-way over other aircraft in flight or operating on the surface, except that they shall not take advantage of this rule to force an aircraft off the runway surface which has already landed and is attempting to make way for an aircraft on final approach." The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The departing pilot's inadequate visual lookout. ===
Accident occurred Tuesday, January 01, 2008 in Sonoma, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/30/2008
Aircraft: Piper PA 28-180, registration: N8037W
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.
The pilots were attending a fly-in at the airport. One pilot in a low-wing airplane was landing, and the other pilot in a high-wing airplane was departing. The runup area for the landing runway is situated at the beginning of the runway so that following a runup, a pilot can depart straight from the runup area onto the runway. A witness said that the landing pilot had made radio transmissions around the traffic pattern, and then indicated that he was on final approach for landing. When the landing pilot was on short final, the departing pilot indicated that he was departing. The witness was flying above the airport and advised the departing pilot that an airplane was landing. The airplanes collided shortly thereafter. According to 14 CFR 91.113, Right-of-way rules: Except water operations, "Aircraft, while on final approach to land or while landing, have the right-of-way over other aircraft in flight or operating on the surface, except that they shall not take advantage of this rule to force an aircraft off the runway surface which has already landed and is attempting to make way for an aircraft on final approach." The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The departing pilot's inadequate visual lookout. ===
Accident occurred Sunday, May 06, 2007 in Sonoma, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/29/2007
Aircraft: Cessna 150M, registration: N45316
Injuries: 1 Minor.
After landing on runway 26 with a right crosswind from 360 degrees at 19 knots and gusting to 28 knots, the airplane veered off the runway to the left. The airplane subsequently crossed an adjacent field, and collided with a ditch. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind conditions and failure to maintain directional control while landing. ===
Accident occurred Monday, September 19, 2005 in Sonoma, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 1/31/2006
Aircraft: Clark Vans RV8, registration: N559JC
Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 Uninjured.
The experimental airplane collided with grapevines and support posts during a forced landing following a loss of engine power while on downwind for the runway. The pilot performed prelanding checks on downwind, and upon switching on the second fuel pump, the engine lost power. The pilot switched the fuel pump to the original position and selected the other fuel tank. Neither action caused the engine to regain its power. The pilot attempted to lower the electrically powered flaps to prepare for the emergency landing on the runway but the flaps failed to deploy. The airplane carried an excess of 30 to 40 knots while flying 10 to 20 feet above the runway; the pilot determined that he would easily overrun the 2,480-foot-long runway and impact structures at the end if he did not divert the airplanes path. He pulled up and turned left 180 degrees to dissipate the extra energy and landed along the vine rows of the neighboring vineyard. First responders reported that there appeared to be no fuel in the airplane's fuel tanks nor evidence of a post accident fuel spill or leak from the airplane. The pilot said that the airplane's electrical system powers the engine's electronic ignition, propeller pitch control, and flaps. Examination of the electrical system revealed that the "Master Power Switch" that was being used was an automotive keyed single pole single throw switch, and that the back was loose and coming apart, making the internal electrical contacts intermittent. This switch ties together power from the batteries and the alternator. Failure of this switch could result in the loss of ignition power to the engine. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: a loss of engine power due to the failure of the master electrical power switch, which removed power to the electronic ignition. ===
Accident occurred Saturday, May 14, 2005 in Sonoma, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 8/29/2006
Aircraft: Great Lakes 2T-1A-2, registration: N765GL
Injuries: 1 Minor.
The airplane collided with the runway during an aborted takeoff following a partial loss of engine power. Prior to departure the pilot completed an engine run-up, observing no anomalies with the engine gauges or the engine's performance. During the takeoff, as the pilot began to lift off of the runway surface, the engine began to surge and he noticed a subsequent degradation in climb performance. After reaching about 30 to 40 feet above ground level (agl), he realized the airplane would not be able to continue the departure and opted to perform an emergency landing on an alternate runway. The airplane collided with the runway in a 15-degree nose low attitude. A post accident examination of the engine found that the spark plugs, the cylinders, and piston heads were heavily sooted; signatures consistent with an excessively rich fuel mixture. No other anomalies were found that would have precluded the engine from normal operation. An examination of the fuel servo revealed that the unit had a black coloration in the throat section and blue staining present near the idle valve. These signatures were consistent with a rich fuel mixture and a continuous fuel leak. During the bench testing of the servo, several small fuel leaks were noted at the idle valve, fuel diaphragm, and center body seal. Flow tests at high power settings revealed that the fuel servo was running rich, well over the prescribed maximum flows for that unit. The unit was about 28 years old and did not appear to have ever been overhauled. A representative from the engine manufacturer stated that based on the fuel servo's tested flow, the engine would have been running very rich and most likely could not have produced normal power. The servo manufacturer issued a Service Bulletin in 1990 that recommends that the unit be overhauled at engine TBO or every 10 years. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: a partial loss of engine power, which resulted from the fuel servo leaking and generating an excessively rich fuel/air mixture. A factor was the owner's failure to comply with a service bulletin. ===
Accident occurred Sunday, March 03, 2002 in SONOMA, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 6/2/2004
Aircraft: Aeronca C-3, registration: N17438
Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor.
During the takeoff climb out, the airplane veered to the right and nose dived into a junkyard. A passenger who held a student pilot certificate, was invited by the owner to fly the airplane. The owner placed the student in the left seat, which was the side that had the flight control stick, rudder pedals, and brakes. The owner sat in the right seat, which did not have a flight control stick but did have rudder pedals. The student said there were no problems encountered during takeoff. Once they had climbed over the tress, the left wing dropped abruptly. A couple of seconds after she corrected the wings to a straight and level attitude, the pilot-in-command reached over to her side and took over the flight controls. The airplane banked and fell off to the right and struck the ground in a nose-down, left wing low attitude. Initial and follow-up examinations of the airplane and powerplant did not expose any preimpact mechanical discrepancies. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the pilot's excessive remedial control inputs in response to a passenger's control inputs, which led to a failure to maintain an adequate airspeed and an inadvertent stall/mush. The pilot's inadequate preflight decision to allow a student pilot to occupy the only seat with full flight controls was a factor in the accident. ===
Accident occurred Tuesday, September 04, 2001 in Sonoma, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 5/28/2002
Aircraft: Cessna 150J, registration: N51256
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
During an approach for landing the engine lost power and the pilot made a forced landing in a vineyard where the airplane came to rest on it's nose. Fuel was observed in the fuel tanks. Fuel recovered from the fuel tanks was 4.5 gallons. According to the manufacturer, 3.5 gallons of fuel is unusable. During the engine inspection it was noted that the ignition switch was defective and did not allow for proper contact with the system. Pressure had to be applied to the instrument panel in order to allow a positive ground to the system for start up. The pilot indicated that the ignition switch had been defective prior to the accident flight and had been that way for some time. A successful engine ground run was conducted with no further mechanical discrepancies noted. Review of the Carburetor Icing Probability Chart revealed that weather conditions were conducive to serious icing at climb or cruise power. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight fuel consumption calculations and failure to ensure that adequate fuel was onboard the airplane prior to departure. A factor in the accident was the pilot's continued use of the airplane with known mechanical deficiencies. ===
Accident occurred Saturday, May 05, 2001 in SONOMA, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/28/2001
Aircraft: De Havilland Tiger Moth DH 82A, registration: N838KC
Injuries: 2 Serious.
While maneuvering to land after experiencing a loss of engine power the right wing dug into the soft dirt and the airplane came to rest inverted. Three weeks prior to this accident the airplane was involved in an incident where it came to rest on its nose with the fuel tank remaining partially submerged in water. Efforts were made to clear the water out the fuel system; however, the header tank that sits in the forward portion of the airplane was not removed and flushed properly. The airplane had been ground run after the incident, but not flown until the day of the accident. No mechanical anomalies were noted during the ground runs. During the engine examination trace amounts of water were found in the carburetor. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: Failure of the pilot to properly flush out the fuel system after the header tank became submerged in water, which precipitated a loss of engine power and forced landing in a soft open dirt area. ===


Sonoma Skypark Airport Approach / Landing: