20201215018749A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Lake LA-4-200 · Orlando, FL · December 15, 2020

Date: December 15, 2020 · 15:45 local
Place: Orlando, FL
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5023L
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA21LA078
Reported as: Lake LA-4-200
Reported engine: Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Unknown or foreign certificate
Pilot’s flight hours: 256 total14 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

N5023LRegistered now · Lake LA-4-200S/N 480 · Built 1971 Airframe modelLake LA-4-200 Engine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

While attempting to land at Lake hiawassee, the pilot stated that following the landing flare, the airplane ?floated? A considerable distance before he bounced the landing. The airplane skipped approximately three times until the pilot concluded he could neither complete the landing nor abort the landing before striking structures or other obstacles on the shore. He deliberately nosed the airplane into the water to arrest its forward progress. The skin on the nose of the aircraft was severely ripped. Nose is also dented and the sponson on the right wing was torn off. The aircraft sank in approximately 30 feet of water.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT LAKE HIAWASSEE, THE PILOT STATED THAT FOLLOWING THE LANDING FLARE, THE AIRPLANE ?FLOATED? A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE BEFORE HE BOUNCED THE LANDING. THE AIRPLANE SKIPPED APPROXIMATELY THREE TIMES UNTIL THE PILOT CONCLUDED HE COULD NEITHER COMPLETE THE LANDING NOR ABORT THE LANDING BEFORE STRIKING STRUCTURES OR OTHER OBSTACLES ON THE SHORE. HE DELIBERATELY NOSED THE AIRPLANE INTO THE WATER TO ARREST ITS FORWARD PROGRESS. THE SKIN ON THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEVERELY RIPPED. NOSE IS ALSO DENTED AND THE SPONSON ON THE RIGHT WING WAS TORN OFF. THE AIRCRAFT SANK IN APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET OF WATER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA21LA078Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportOrlando, FLThe pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing.Dec 15, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N5023L · 1

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

Accident 20000429012149AOolaga, OK(-23) On final approach, the pilot-in-command noted that the airplane was "low"; he added power. During the landing/flare, the airplane was about 1/3 of the way down the runway when the pilot rated passenger/owner of the airplane called for a go-around. The…Apr 29, 2000 · No damage