Arion Aircraft LLC LIGHTNING LS-1 accident near Ghent, New York, April 30, 2012
On April 30, 2012 at about 9:31 pm local time, a Arion Aircraft LLC LIGHTNING LS-1, registered N782MD, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Ghent, New York (Kline Kill Airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2012 · about 9:31 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Ghent, New York · Kline Kill Airport · cases near this airport · 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 · all LIGHTNING LS-1s on the register
- Registration
- N782MD · no longer on the register · serial 122
- 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, the airplane encountered a bump in the grass runway during the takeoff roll and lifted off the runway several knots slower than rotation speed. After liftoff, the airplane descended to the left side of the runway, impacted trees, and came to rest in a swampy area, resulting in substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination of the runway found it to be in satisfactory condition, with no evidence of bumps.
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 takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 33,000 hours in all; 107 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 27,000 as pilot in command; 15,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 29, 2011
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 99 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 30, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 3300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NY1 Ghent NY at 9:30 pm
- Destination: FWN Sussex NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PSF, 16 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
6 documents, released by the NTSB on August 14, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Psf Weather Observations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot and Witness Statements | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum of Record: FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 1: View of Airplane at Rest (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 2: View of Left Wing Damage (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N782MD: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Arion Aircraft Llc LIGHTNING LS-1 23 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Jabiru 3300 475 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Kline Kill Airport · nearest airport
- Sussex Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in New York 1,964 since 1982 · 249 in the last ten years
- New York 6,663 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA12CA313.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.