Arion Aircraft LLC LIGHTNING LS-1 accident near Goshen, Indiana, December 3, 2016
On December 3, 2016 at about 1:51 pm local time, a 2012 Arion Aircraft LLC LIGHTNING LS-1, registered N218D, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Goshen, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the subsequent forced landing on a rough/soft field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 2016 · about 1:51 pm local time
- Place
- Goshen, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Arion Aircraft LLC LIGHTNING LS-1 NO SERIES, built 2012 · all LIGHTNING LS-1s on the register
- Registration
- N218D · registry record · serial 152
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The sport pilot reported that, before departing on a cross-country flight, he contacted the flight service station for a weather briefing for his flight route. He then conducted a preflight inspection of the airplane, started it to allow it to warm up, and ran the carburetor heat before departing. The climb to cruise at 2,000 ft was normal. The pilot reported that, about 10 miles from the departure airport, the engine started to run "rough" and that he applied carburetor heat. When this did not have any effect on engine performance, he decided to return to the departure airport. He added that, during the return, the engine "power was very poor" and that the airplane was losing altitude rapidly. The pilot spotted a clear field nearby and performed a soft-field landing approach. Upon landing, the gear dug into the soft plowed field. The airplane continued forward on its belly, which resulted in substantial damage. The weather conditions were conducive to the accumulation of serious icing at any power setting. Although the pilot reported that he used carburetor heat, it is likely that the ice had already accumulated to the degree that the carburetor heat was insufficient to melt the ice and restore full engine power. An examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies.
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
- Other weather encounter during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 247 hours in all; 245 in this make and model; 227 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 19, 2015
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 393.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 29, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 3300A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GSH Goshen IN at 1:40 pm
- Destination: IKV Ankeny IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.32 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KGSH, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CEN17LA048.