# Accident 19980704030769A: Conaer LA4250, Wise, NC, July 4, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 4, 1998, 11:00 local time
- Place: Wise, NC
- Airport: Lake Gaston
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.4865° N, 78.1708° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Wise, NC, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.4865&lon=-78.1708&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1401P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1401P-2018-04-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerofab LAKE LA-4-250 (registry code 5110320, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerofab-lake-la-4-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CONAER LA4250
- Reported engine: LYC IO540*
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 180 total, 43 in this make and model, 51 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL98LA100](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA100) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980704030769A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING A WATER TAKEOFF FROM LAKE GASTON, IN HALIFAX COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A BOAT WAKE. A RIGHT TURN WAS MADE TO PARALLEL THE WAKE, RESULTING IN DRAGGING THE RIGHT SPONSON, AND A WATER LOOP ENSUED. THE FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR 61-21A-FLIGHT TRAINING HANDBOOK DISCUSSES THE FORCES THAT ACT ON A SEAPLANE DURING A CROSSWIND TAKEOFF.  IT STATES THAT THE CROSSWIND PUSHES THE AIRPLANE SIDEWAYS, ACTING ALONG WITH THE FRICTION OF THE AIRPLANE ON THE WATER CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO WEATHERVANE INTO THE WIND.  THE TURN IS AGGRAVATED BY THE OCCURRENCE OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE.  THIS IS OPPOSED BY THE WATER REACTION ON THE HULL AND IF STRONG ENOUGH AND, IN COMBINATION WITH THE WIND MAY CAUSE THE SEAPLANE TO TIP, SUBMERGING THE DOWNWIND FLOAT AND CAUSING THE WING TO STRIKE THE WATER. THIS IS KNOWN AS A 'WATER LOOP'.                               (-23) WHILE ATTEMPTING A WATER TAKEOFF FROM LAKE GASTON, NC, PILOT ENCOUNTERED BOAT WAKE. PIC MADE A RIGHT TURN TO PARALLEL WAVES, DIGGING THE RIGHT SPONSON INTO THE WATER CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO "WATER LOOP". THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEACHED. NO INJURY TO PILOT OR PASSENGER.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ATL98LA100](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA100), Jul 4, 1998: Aerofab Lake LA-4-250 (N1401P), Wise, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper turn during the takeoff that resulted in dragging the sponson. A factor was the rough water caused by the boat wake.

## Other reports on N1401P (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20150908014649A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150908014649A), Sep 8, 2015: Aerofab Inc LAKE LA-4-250 (N1401P), Somerset, NJ, Destroyed, 1 fatal. On 9/8/2015 at approximately 2045 local time, Mr. Philip clements was the pilot in command of N1401P (lake LA-4-250) and had departed runway 30 at the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.