# Incident 20120506008539I: Lake LA-4, Palo Alto, CA, May 6, 2012

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 6, 2012, 13:30 local time
- Place: Palo Alto, CA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.3965° N, 122.1431° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Palo Alto, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3965&lon=-122.1431&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7615L, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7615L-2024-01-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Lake LA-4 (registry code 5110302, https://openairdocs.org/model/lake-la-4) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: LAKE LA-4
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120506008539I

## Narrative

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

ON MAY 6, 2012 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS OPERATING AN LA-4, N7615L.  DURING AN APPROACH TO PALO ALTO AIRPORT THE AIRCRAFT DEVELOPED A NOSE LANDING GEAR MALFUNCTION.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REQUESTED VISUAL CONFIRMATION OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR STATUS FROM ATCT.  ATCT CONFIRMED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR HAD NOT FULLY EXTENDED.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RETRACTED NOSE LANDING GEAR AND VERIFIED NOSE LANDING DOORS WERE CLOSED BY CONTACTING ATCT AND REQUESTING THEIR VISUAL CONFIRMATION OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DOOR.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONFIGURED THE AIRCRAFT FOR A WATER LANDING AND LANDED ON THE BAYLANDS RECREATIONAL WATER AREA WITH NO DAMAGE/INJURIES.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BEACHED THE AIRCRAFT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURER'S BEACHING PROCEDURES.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED AND CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE ACTIONS WERE PERFORMED AS PER AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE BY AN A&P CERTIFIED MECHANIC.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ COORDINATED HIS TAKEOFF FROM THE BAYLANDS WITH THE PARK RANGER AND RETURNED TO PALO ALTO AIRPORT WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS.  DURING THE INTERVIEW WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HE STATED HE HAD APPROXIMATELY ¾ TANK OF FUEL, WHICH WOULD ALLOW APPROXIMATELY 2 ½ HRS FLIGHT TIME.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS FOCUSED ON LANDING AT PALO ALTO AND DID NOT CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS SUCH AS A WATER LANDING AT FRAZIER LAKE OR SAUSALITO WHICH COULD HAVE ACCOMMODATED AN AMPHIBIOUS LANDING.

## Other reports on N7615L (1)

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

- [Accident 20210803013389A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210803013389A), Aug 3, 2021: Lake LA-4 (N7615L), Lake Isabella, CA, Destroyed. After completing a successful water landing upon Lake Isabella, pilot water taxied the aircraft to a boat ramp. After exiting the water and taxing the aircraft…

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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