- Date
- April 21, 2015, 13:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- West Plains, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N332ALArion Lightning LS-1
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 27, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150421006889A
- Case key
- 91100
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 control while landing in gusty wind conditions.
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.
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 stated that during an approach to landing in gusty crosswind conditions, the airplane encountered turbulence about ten feet above the runway and suddenly lost altitude. The airplane landed hard, and collapsed the nose landing gear, then exited the right side of the runway and collapsed the main landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. A review of local weather data indicated that there was low level wind shear associated with high based convective activity approximately five miles north of the airport. There were several pilot reports in the area indicating moderate turbulence below 10,000 feet. Additionally, two pilot reports for moderate turbulence below 2,000 feet and low level wind shear were made within an hour of the accident. The National Weather Service issued an Airman's Meteorological Advisory, current at the time of the accident, for turbulence below 10,000 feet.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that during an approach to landing in gusty crosswind conditions, the airplane encountered turbulence about ten feet above the runway and suddenly lost altitude. The airplane landed hard, and collapsed the nose landing gear, then exited the right side of the runway and collapsed the main landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.A review of local weather data indicated that there was low level wind shear associated with high based convective activity approximately five miles north of the airport. There were several pilot reports in the area indicating moderate turbulence below 10,000 feet. Additionally, two pilot reports for moderate turbulence below 2,000 feet and low level wind shear were made within an hour of the accident. The National Weather Service issued an Airman's Meteorological Advisory, current at the time of the accident, for turbulence below 10,000 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N332AL
- Reported as
- Arion Lightning LS-1 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 107
- Built
- 2010
- Airframe hours
- 96
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2014
- Departed
- SYI · Shelbyville, TN
- Destination
- UNO · West Plains, MO
- Airport
- UNO · West Plains Rgnl, runway 18, 5,101 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, 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
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 20 total · 10 in this make and model · 153 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KUNO
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 10, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 15.4 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.