# NTSB WPR20LA096: Lightning Avion Eab Arion Lightning, N1XF, Jerome, ID, February 26, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: February 26, 2020, 16:45 local (23:45 UTC) - Place: Jerome, ID - Coordinates: 42.759723, -114.37166 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.7597&lon=-114.3717&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Emergency descent](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/600) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Emergency descent: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 101010 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR20LA096 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101010/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA096 ## Probable cause The pilot’s mismanagement of fuel, which resulted in fuel starvation and the pilot’s loss of airplane control during an emergency descent, which resulted in a stall and subsequent impact with terrain. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Lightning Avion Eab ARION LIGHTNING, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05631QD), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Lightning Avion Eab ARION LIGHTNING, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=05631QD), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191); cases with it: [Lightning Avion Eab ARION LIGHTNING, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md?model=05631QD), [All aircraft, 733 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Lightning Avion Eab ARION LIGHTNING, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=05631QD), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241); cases with it: [Lightning Avion Eab ARION LIGHTNING, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md?model=05631QD), [All aircraft, 1,529 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that he recently purchased the airplane and experienced inaccurate right fuel gauge readings, so he used a fuel totalizer on the airplane’s instrumentation and conducted frequent fuel calculations. About 24 miles from his destination, he intentionally ran the right fuel tank empty and the engine sputtered and quit. He turned off the right fuel tank selector and turned on the left fuel tank selector. The engine started again for several seconds then it sputtered again. He adjusted the fuel selectors several times, but to no avail. Unable to make the airport, he initiated an off-field landing. As the airplane descended, the pilot observed several obstacles. As he made a left turn to avoid them, the left wing stalled, and the airplane impacted the ground nose down. The aft fuselage and wings sustained substantial damage. As the pilot exited the airplane, he noted two streams of fuel exiting the damaged left wingtip. During recovery, limited to no fuel was removed from the airplane, and the smell of fuel was not noted at the accident site. There was nothing abnormal noted with the fuel system as the airplane was disassembled and prepared for transport. During the emergency descent following a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, the pilot was maneuvering the airplane in a left-wing low attitude, when it stalled and subsequently collided with the ground left wing first. The loss of engine power and the subsequent forced landing likely could have been prevented had the pilot switched fuel tanks prior to depleting the right fuel tank of fuel. ## Factual narrative On February 26, 2020, about 1645 mountain standard time, an Arion Lightning airplane, N1XF, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Jerome, Idaho. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he recently purchased the airplane, during the pre-purchasing inspection the right fuel gauge was inaccurate and unreliable. After maintenance fixed the problem twice, they informed the pilot that he must recalibrate the gauge upon his return home. To make the long flight home, he used a fuel totalizer on the airplane’s instrumentation and conducted frequent fuel calculations. About 25 nautical miles from his intended destination, he calculated 6.3 gallons remaining (4.3 usable) for about 38-40 minutes of flight. Shortly thereafter, the engine sputtered and quit. He turned off the right fuel tank selector and turned on the left fuel tank fuel. In addition, he reduced the airspeed to 75 knots, turned off autopilot, and redirected to a closer airport. The engine ran again for several seconds before it sputtered again. He adjusted the fuel selectors several times, but to no avail. Unable to make it to the airport, the pilot elected to land on a nearby roadway. However, as the airplane descended, he observed fences on both sides of the road and made a left turn to a nearby field. As he turned, the left wing stalled, and the airplane impacted the ground left wing first. The aft fuselage and wings sustained substantial damage. As the pilot exited the airplane, he noted two streams of fuel exiting the damaged left wingtip. The pilot reported to the Federal Aviation Administration that he intentionally ran the right fuel tank empty in flight because of the inoperative right fuel gauge. The pilot switched to the left fuel tank, which had about 4 gallons of fuel remaining; however, the engine would not regain power. During recovery, little to no fuel was removed from the airplane, and the smell of fuel was not noted at the accident site. There was nothing abnormal noted with the fuel system as the airplane was disassembled and prepared for transport. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1XF](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1XF-2020-05-13), registration cancelled 2020-05-13, S/N 114, built 2012 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Lightning Avion Eab LLC Arion Lightning - Registry model: [Lightning Avion Eab ARION LIGHTNING](https://openairdocs.org/model/lightning-avion-eab-arion-lightning) (registry code 05631UL) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Jabiru 3300A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/jabiru-3300a) (registry code 34804, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 114 - Year built: 2012 - Airframe hours: 117 - Engines: Jabriu 3300 Gen 4 120 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, February 2, 2020, 16 hours before - Departed: WRL, Worland, WY - Destination: GNG, Gooding, ID - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 25, 2019; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 550 total, 13 in this make and model, 503 as pilot in command, 25 in the last 90 days, 18 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 320° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 12,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 48 °F, dew point 18 °F - Altimeter: 30.34 inHg - Observed at: JER, 4 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20200226005669A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200226005669A), Feb 26, 2020: Lightning Avion Eab LLC ARION LIGHTNING, Jerome, ID, Substantial damage. The airman departed rawlings (kwrl) en-route to gooding (kgng). While 24 NM from kgng, the engine failed due to fuel starvation. The right tank was selected… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.