# Accident 19990829042389A: Conaer LA4200, Winter Haven, FL, August 29, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 29, 1999, 10:00 local time
- Place: Winter Haven, FL
- Airport: Winter Haven'S Gilbert Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.0401° N, 81.7196° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.0401&lon=-81.7196&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8002H (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: CONAER LA4200
- Reported engine: LYC IO360A1B
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 13,000 total, 160 in this make and model, 200 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99LA241](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA241) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990829042389A

## Narrative

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

(-23) WHILE PERFORMING STEP TAXI, THE LEFT HAND SPONSOR DUG INTO THE WATER CAUSING THE A/C TO SPIN 180 DEGREES AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. BOTH SPONSORS BROKE OFF, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT FLAP, AILERON AND WING SPAR. THE FUSELAGE WRINKLED DUE TO HYDRAULIC ACTION. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           (-4)THE FLIGHT HAD LANDED ON THE LAKE AFTER THE PILOTS HAD BEEN PRACTICING LANDINGS AND TAKEOFFS. WHILE ATTEMPTING A WATER TAKE OFF IN A LEFT STEP TURN THE BOW WAS ALLOWED TO GET TOO LOW CAUSING THE RIGHT FRONT PORTION OF THE HULL TO DIG IN AND SPIN THE AIRCRAFT ABOUT 180 DEGREES.  THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED, '...I TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHEN THE STUDENT DID NOT CORRECT THE PITCH ATTITUDE, BUT A SPLIT SECOND TOO LATE.'  THE PILOT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION STATED, '...WHILE COMPLETING A STEP TURN TAXI MANEUVER TO THE LEFT APPARENTLY I ALLOWED THE BOW TO BECOME TOO LOW SWINGING THE AIRCRAFT 180 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT CAUSING DAMAGE....'

## 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 MIA99LA241](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA241), Aug 29, 1999: Lake LA-4-200 (N8002H), Winter Haven, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot-in command/flight instructor allowed the student pilot to get the nose of the airplane too low in the water causing a loss of directional control and a subsequent impact of the right wing…

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.

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