Arion LIGHTNING LS-1 N218D

Summary

On 3 December 2016 at about 13:51 local time, a Arion LIGHTNING LS-1 registered N218D was involved in an accident near Goshen, Indiana, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 December 2016 at 13:51

Classification

Accident

Location

Goshen, Indiana, United States

Coordinates

41.5314, -85.8633

Aircraft

Arion LIGHTNING LS-1

Registration

N218D

Category

Airplane

Year built

2012

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Goshen → Ankeny

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN17LA048

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the subsequent forced landing on a rough/soft field.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.