Arion Skys Open Sport Aviation LIGHTNING accident near St. Augustine, Florida, August 24, 2016
On August 24, 2016 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 2011 Arion Skys Open Sport Aviation LIGHTNING, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N481SL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near St. Augustine, Florida (Northeast Florida Rgnl 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2016 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- St. Augustine, Florida · Northeast Florida Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Arion Skys Open Sport Aviation LIGHTNING, built 2011, amateur-built
- Registration
- N481SL · registry record · serial 121
- 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 of the experimental light-sport airplane, following a personal flight, he made a straight-in approach to runway 13. He recalled that the tower reported the wind as 070° at 12 knots. During the approach, the airplane encountered "convective turbulence," but he established a stabilized approach over the runway centerline. He remarked that, about 5 ft above the runway, the airplane encountered what he estimated to be a 20-knot or greater wind gust. He reported that the airplane ballooned and touched down on the nosewheel, the propeller struck the ground, and he used differential braking to stop the airplane on the runway. The nose landing gear separated from the airplane, and the engine mounts and the spar box sustained substantial damage. The METAR at the accident airport indicated that, at the time of the accident, the wind was 040° true at 12 knots. There were no METARs throughout the day at the accident airport that indicated wind gusts. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have prevented normal operation.
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 landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of available resources › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 402 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 300 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 5, 2015
- Medical certificate: None (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 250 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 25, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 3300 (piston); 250 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SYI Shelbyville TN at 3:00 pm
- Destination: SGJ St. Augustine FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 13, 8,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 6:58 pm from KSGJ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 22, 2017. 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 | Photo (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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.