# Accident 20200409003899A: Arion Aircraft LLC LIGHTNING LS-1, Mt. Pleasant, SC, April 9, 2020

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 9, 2020, 20:55 local time
- Place: Mt. Pleasant, SC
- Airport: East Cooper
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.8850° N, 79.7758° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8850&lon=-79.7758&mi=10
- Aircraft: N81DJ, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N81DJ) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Arion LIGHTNING LS-1 (registry code 069001H, https://openairdocs.org/model/arion-lightning-ls-1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Jabiru 3300 (registry code 34801, https://openairdocs.org/engine/jabiru-3300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ARION AIRCRAFT LLC LIGHTNING LS-1
- Reported engine: JABIRU 3300
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA20LA150](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA150) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200409003899A

## Narrative

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

DURING NIGHT TRAINING FLIGHT STUDENT AND CFI LEFT HOME BASE MYR FOR TOUCH AND GO LRO AND RETURN.  TOUCH AND GO RWY 17 RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND IMPACT WITH TREES BEYOND DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY WITH AIRCRAFT DESTROYED AND BOTH OCCUPANT FATALITIES

## 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 ERA20LA150](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA150), Apr 10, 2020: Arion Lightning LS-1 (N81DJ), Mount Pleasant, SC, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees at the end of the runway due to spatial disorientation during initial climb in dark night conditions. Also causal was the flight instructor’s…

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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