# Accident 20081217854349A: Conaer LA4200, Lake Apopka, FL, December 17, 2008 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 17, 2008, 10:45 local time - Place: Lake Apopka, FL - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 28.6117° N, 81.5969° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.6117&lon=-81.5969&mi=10 - Aircraft: N85213, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N85213) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Lake LA-4-200 (registry code 5110310, https://openairdocs.org/model/lake-la-4-200) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CONAER LA4200 - Reported engine: LYC IO360LYC* - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,801 total, 118 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA09CA121](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09CA121) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20081217854349A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON JANUARY 2, 2009, NTSB INVESTIGATOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CALLED THE NORTH FLORIDA FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT TO ADVISE OF AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING LAKE LA-4, N85213, THAT OCCURRED ON LAKE APOPKA, ORLANDO, FLORIDA ON DECEMBER 17, 2008. THE EVENT WAS NOT ORIGINALLY REPORTED TO THE NTSB OR FAA ON DECEMBER 17, 2008 BECAUSE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE OWNER/PILOT IN COMMAND, DID NOT BECOME AWARE OF SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO N85213 UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2008, FOLLOWING A COMPLETE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT AMPHIBIANS PLUS, BARTOW, FLORIDA. ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN A STATEMENT PROVIDED TO THE NORTH FLORIDA FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE, HE WAS PRACTICING WATER LANDINGS ON LAKE APOPKA IN N85213 ON DECEMBER 17, 2008. AFTER TWO SUCCESSFUL NORMAL LANDINGS, HE ATTEMPTED A SIMULATED LOSS OF POWER LANDING BY REDUCING THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET ABOVE THE WATER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ACKNOWLEDGED IN HIS STATEMENT THAT HE FAILED TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT GLIDE SPEED DURING THE DESCENT TO THE WATER AND ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO "DROP IN", CAUSING A HARD LANDING. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS UNAWARE OF ANY DAMAGE TO N85213 UNTIL HE MADE A FULL STOP LANDING AND TAXIED TO SHORE IN TAVARES, FLORIDA. AN INITIAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER TIPS AND FUSELAGE "TURTLE DECK". SUCH DAMAGE WAS DUE TO FLEXING OF THE ENGINE MOUNT ASSEMBLY DURING THE HARD LANDING, CAUSING THE PROPELLER TIPS TO "GRAZE" THE DECK AREA BELOW THE PROPELLER. AUTHORIZED MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL CHANGED THE PROPELLER AND CONDUCTED AN EXTERIOR VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. NO APPARENT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS FOUND, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN TO AMPHIBIANS PLUS IN BARTOW, FLORIDA FOR A MORE DETAILED INSPECTION. UPON REMOVAL OF SEATS AND INTERIOR FLOOR PANELS AND A SUBSEQUENT DETAILED INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE, CRACKS WERE FOUND IN TWO BULKHEAD CROSS-MEMBERS. SUCH DAMAGE CAUSED THE EVENT TO BE CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL ADVISED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THEIR FINDINGS AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTACTED THE NTSB TO REPORT THE ACCIDENT ON JANUARY 2, 2009. FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS ASSIGNED TO THE NORTH FLORIDA FSDO INSPECTED N85213 IN BARTOW, FLORIDA ON JANUARY 9, 2009 AND CONFIRMED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE BULKHEAD CROSS-MEMBERS AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. ## 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 ERA09CA121](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09CA121), Dec 17, 2008: Lake LA-4-200 (N85213), Apopka, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper flare. ## Other reports on N85213 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19970218010459I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970218010459I), Feb 18, 1997: Conaer LA4200 (N85213), Deland, FL. Narrative: left main landing gear failed to fully extend during approach. PIC utilized alc emergency procedures to fully extend gear, without success. PIC made… 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.