Arion Aircraft LLC Lightning accident near Brownsville, Texas, March 2, 2011
On March 2, 2011 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Arion Aircraft LLC Lightning, registered N125GD, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Brownsville, Texas (Brownsville / S Padre Island airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed on final approach, resulting in a loss of control and a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 2011 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Brownsville, Texas · Brownsville / S Padre Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Arion Aircraft LLC Lightning LS-1
- Registration
- N125GD · registry record · serial 105
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he allowed the airplane’s airspeed to decay on final approach. He noted that this resulted in a loss of control and a hard landing. The airplane sustained damage to both wing spars, the landing gear, and both ailerons during the landing. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Training › Recent instruct/training recvd › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 600 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 8, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 36 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 27, 2010; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 3300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BRO Brownsville TX at 4:56 pm
- Destination: BRO Brownsville TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13R, 7,399 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KBRO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N125GD the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN11CA215.