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20220710011889A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Arion LIGHTNING LS-1 · Indiana, PA · July 10, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 10, 2022 · 10:45 local
Place
Indiana, PA
Airport
Indiana County/Jimmy Stewart F
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N326AL
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA22LA304
Reported as
Arion Lightning LS-1
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
776 total79 in this make and model17 in the last 90 days
N326ALRegistration cancelled Aug 30, 2023 · Arion LIGHTNING LS-1S/N 99Airframe modelArion LIGHTNING LS-1

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On Sunday July 10, 2022, an accident occurred involving an Arion aircraft lightning LS1G light sport category aircraft. The accident occurred at approximately 10:45AM local time at the Jimmy Stewart airport, Indiana, Pennsylvania (kidi). The pilot stated he entered the traffic pattern from the south crossing midfield to join the left downwind for runway 11. Multiple aircraft were in the traffic pattern at this time. Also entering the traffic pattern from the southwest on a right base entry for runway 11 was a helicopter. On final approach the pilot of the accident aircraft encountered the rotorwash of the arriving helicopter. The aircraft was witnessed banking left then hard to the right entering a nose down attitude impacting the runway with its right wing and nose then cartwheeling before coming to rest on the southside of the runway inverted. First responders had to right the aircraft to extricate the pilot. The pilot was flown by medical helicopter to a local hospital for unknown injuries at the time.

As the FAA filed it

ON SUNDAY JULY 10, 2022, AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED INVOLVING AN ARION AIRCRAFT LIGHTNING LS1G LIGHT SPORT CATEGORY AIRCRAFT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 10:45AM LOCAL TIME AT THE JIMMY STEWART AIRPORT, INDIANA, PENNSYLVANIA (KIDI). THE PILOT STATED HE ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FROM THE SOUTH CROSSING MIDFIELD TO JOIN THE LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 11. MULTIPLE AIRCRAFT WERE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT THIS TIME. ALSO ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FROM THE SOUTHWEST ON A RIGHT BASE ENTRY FOR RUNWAY 11 WAS A HELICOPTER. ON FINAL APPROACH THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED THE ROTORWASH OF THE ARRIVING HELICOPTER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS WITNESSED BANKING LEFT THEN HARD TO THE RIGHT ENTERING A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE IMPACTING THE RUNWAY WITH ITS RIGHT WING AND NOSE THEN CARTWHEELING BEFORE COMING TO REST ON THE SOUTHSIDE OF THE RUNWAY INVERTED. FIRST RESPONDERS HAD TO RIGHT THE AIRCRAFT TO EXTRICATE THE PILOT. THE PILOT WAS FLOWN BY MEDICAL HELICOPTER TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR UNKNOWN INJURIES AT THE TIME.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA22LA304Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportIndiana, PAThe airplane pilot’s inadvertent encounter with rotor wash/turbulence during short final approach, which resulted in a loss of control in flight.Jul 10, 2022 · Substantial damage