- Date
- April 30, 2012, 17:31 local (21:31 UTC)
- Place
- Ghent, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N782MDArion Lightning LS-1
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 15, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120430006409A
- Case key
- 83521
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 loss of directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion.
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, the airplane encountered a bump in the grass runway during the takeoff roll and lifted off the runway several knots slower than rotation speed. After liftoff, the airplane descended to the left side of the runway, impacted trees, and came to rest in a swampy area, resulting in substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination of the runway found it to be in satisfactory condition, with no evidence of bumps.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll, the airplane encountered a bump in the grass runway that forced it to lift off the runway several knots under rotation speed. The airplane descended to the left, impacted trees off the left side of the runway, and came to rest in a swampy area resulting in substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined the runway after the accident and found it to be in satisfactory condition, with no evidence of bumps.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N782MD
- Reported as
- Arion Lightning LS-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 122
- Airframe hours
- 99
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mark Daniels
- Registered owner
- Mark Daniels
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 30, 2012
- Departed
- NY1 · Ghent, NY
- Destination
- FWN · Sussex, NJ
- Airport
- NY1 · Kline Kill Airport, runway 01, 4,000 × 75 ft, grass/turf
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Last flight review
- April 29, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 33,000 total · 107 in this make and model · 27,000 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- PSF, 16 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 14, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.9 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.