ERA22LA304

NTSB accident investigation · Arion Lightning · Indiana, PA · July 10, 2022

Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
Date
July 10, 2022, 10:50 local (14:50 UTC)
Place
Indiana, PA
Injuries
1 serious
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N326ALArion Lightning
Defining event
Approach-VFR pattern final: Aircraft wake turb encounter
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
Parties
FAA/FSDO
FAA report
20220710011889A
Case key
105441

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The airplane pilot’s inadvertent encounter with rotor wash/turbulence during short final approach, which resulted in a loss of control in flight.

Findings · 3

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.

Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotArion LIGHTNING LS-1: 6 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: lateral/bank controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possibleArion LIGHTNING LS-1: 1 caseAll aircraft: 390 casesProbable cause
Turbulence: wake turbulenceEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on equipmentArion LIGHTNING LS-1: 1 caseAll aircraft: 47 casesProbable cause

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

The pilot of the light sport airplane reported that he was flying to an uncontrolled airport to attend an airshow later during the day. The destination airport traffic pattern was busy with several airplanes in the traffic pattern and a flight of three north of the airport. The pilot entered the traffic pattern by overflying the airport and crossing midfield onto a left downwind leg. At that point, a life flight helicopter reported 2.5 miles southwest. The pilot subsequently heard a report from the helicopter again and asked him where he was. The helicopter stated that he was on the right base leg for runway 11 and number two to land. The pilot of the airplane announced turning to final for runway 11. He was over the threshold at 20 ft above ground level when he saw the helicopter cross the runway several hundred feet ahead of him. The airplane then encountered the rotor wash, rolled right inverted and struck the runway, coming to rest on the runway. The pilot of the helicopter reported that he departed his home base about 2.5 miles from the airport to attend an airshow public relations event at the airport. He entered a right base leg for runway 11 and stated intentions to land No. 2 as there were four airplanes in the traffic pattern and airplane No. 3 (the accident airplane) was turning from left downwind to left base. The helicopter approached the runway numbers, sidestepped north to taxiway A1, and landed at a predesignated position on the taxiway for the airshow. After shutting down, the pilot was told by ground personnel that the airplane following him was involved in an accident.

Aircraft

Registration
N326AL
Reported as
Arion Lightning (LS1)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
99
Built
2010
Airframe hours
455
Engine
Jabiru 3300A, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Special light-sport (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · May 7, 2022 · 13 hours before
Departed
FWQ · Rostraver, PA
Destination
Same as departure
Airport
IDI · Indiana County Airport, runway 11, 5,502 × 100 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display

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
58
Injuries
Minor
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
May 2, 2021
Seat
Left
Restraint
4-point
Flight hours
776 total · 79 in this make and model · 638 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
130° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
73 °F, dew point 54 °F
Altimeter
30.16 inHg
Observed at
KIDI
METAR
KIDI 101455Z AUTO 13005KT 10SM CLR 23/12 A3016

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 24, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 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.