- Date
- March 2, 2011, 12:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Brownsville, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N125GDArion Lightning
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA San Antonio FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110302002929A
- Case key
- 78512
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed on final approach, resulting in a loss of control and a hard landing.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, he allowed the airplane’s airspeed to decay on final approach. He noted that this resulted in a loss of control and a hard landing. The airplane sustained damage to both wing spars, the landing gear, and both ailerons during the landing. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he allowed the airplane’s airspeed to decay on final approach. He noted that this resulted in a loss of control and a hard landing. The airplane sustained damage to both wing spars, the landing gear, and both ailerons during the landing. The pilot stated that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N125GD
- Reported as
- Arion Lightning (LS-1)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 105
- Airframe hours
- 36
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · December 27, 2010 · 35 hours before
- Departed
- BRO · Brownsville, TX
- Destination
- BRO · Brownsville, TX
- Airport
- BRO · Brownsville / S Padre Island, runway 13R, 7,399 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 8, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 600 total · 13 in this make and model · 14 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KBRO
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 2, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N125GD · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.