Arion Aircraft Llc LIGHTNING LS-1 accident near Van Nuys, CA
On August 2, 2016, an Arion Aircraft Llc LIGHTNING LS-1 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Van Nuys, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 2, 2016
- Place
- Van Nuys, CA
- Aircraft
- Arion Aircraft Llc LIGHTNING LS-1 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.198°N, 118.485°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160802X92043
Official records · WPR16FA157
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 2, 2016, about 1322 Pacific daylight time, an Arion Aircraft Lightning LS-1 light-sport airplane, N341AL, was substantially damaged after it impacted a building during its departure from Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Van Nuys, California. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which departed Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO), Santa Monica, California, at 1308. According to an acquaintance, the pilot planned to complete several touch-and-go takeoffs and landings at VNY on the day of the accident. Air traffic control (ATC) information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the pilot contacted the VNY tower controller and requested a full-stop landing on runway 16L. The pilot subsequently advised the controller that he was not familiar with the area and made multiple requests for navigation assistance, including a request for the controller to announce his base leg turn. Once the controller instructed the pilot to turn for the base leg, the pilot requested to extend his downwind leg to descend further and also requested a touch-and-go landing. According to the controller, the airplane touched down hard about 1,500 ft down the runway and subsequently took off. Shortly into the airplane's climb, the pilot reported to the controller that he heard a "banging" sound, and the controller informed the pilot that his left main lan
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of airplane control due to an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an accelerated stall and subsequent impact with a building. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's unreported physiological impairment from traumatic brain injury, which impaired his ability to safety operate the airplane.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
