- Date
- July 2, 2011, 19:10 local (Jul 3, 2011, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Garden City, KS
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N125GDArion Lightning LS-1
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110702013609A
- Case key
- 80990
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 aircraft control while landing.
Findings · 2
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 had performed one go-around because he believed his speed was too fast. During the second attempt to land, the airplane landed hard and departed the right side of the runway. The right main landing gear separated and the nose gear collapsed. A postaccident examination of the airframe revealed that the engine was partially separated from the fuselage and there was substantial damage to the right-wing spar box. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical anomalies or failures.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he had performed one go-around because he felt his speed was too fast. During the second attempt to land, the airplane landed hard and departed the right side of the runway. The right main landing gear separated and the nose gear collapsed. Examination of the airframe revealed that the engine was partially separated from the fuselage and there was substantial damage to the right wing spar box. The pilot did not report mechanical anomalies or failures prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N125GD
- Reported as
- Arion Lightning LS-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 105
- Airframe hours
- 47
- Engine
- Jabiru 33A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 2010
- Departed
- KGCK · Garden City, KS
- Destination
- KGCK · Garden City, KS
- Airport
- KGCK · Garden City Regional Airport, runway 17, 7,300 × 100 ft
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
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 28, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 625 total · 17 in this make and model · 625 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KGCK
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 540 KB 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.