N782MD – ARION AIRCRAFT LLC LIGHTNING LS-1 – 2012-04-30 NTSB Accident Report

On April 30, 2012, a Arion Aircraft LLC LIGHTNING LS-1 (N782MD) was involved in an incident near Ghent, NY. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's loss of directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion.

According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll, the airplane encountered a bump in the grass runway that forced it to lift off the runway several knots under rotation speed. The airplane descended to the left, impacted trees off the left side of the runway, 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. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined the runway after the accident and found it to be in satisfactory condition, with no evidence of bumps.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA12CA313. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N782MD.