What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/25/2024, a Lake amphibious LA-4 aircraft, with only the pilot on board, operated a personal flight under 14 CFR part 91 and was departing northbound from the hudson river. The pilot reported that while the aircraft was in the process of departing, a sudden change in a wind gust made the aircraft shift further causing one of the aircraft wings to make nose down contact with the hudson river and resulted in substantial damage of the aircraft. The pilot attempted to correct the shift but was unsuccessful. The areas of damage include the tail and both left and right wing floats. The pilot reported the contact with the river caused the aircraft to turn west, and partially submerge in the water in the vicinity of a local marina. The aircraft was extracted from the river by marina personnel using a lull and the aircraft was set onto a boat trailer. No injured were sustained during this event.
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/25/2024, A LAKE AMPHIBIOUS LA-4 AIRCRAFT, WITH ONLY THE PILOT ON BOARD, OPERATED A PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AND WAS DEPARTING NORTHBOUND FROM THE HUDSON RIVER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DEPARTING, A SUDDEN CHANGE IN A WIND GUST MADE THE AIRCRAFT SHIFT FURTHER CAUSING ONE OF THE AIRCRAFT WINGS TO MAKE NOSE DOWN CONTACT WITH THE HUDSON RIVER AND RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE SHIFT BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE AREAS OF DAMAGE INCLUDE THE TAIL AND BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT WING FLOATS. THE PILOT REPORTED THE CONTACT WITH THE RIVER CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO TURN WEST, AND PARTIALLY SUBMERGE IN THE WATER IN THE VICINITY OF A LOCAL MARINA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE RIVER BY MARINA PERSONNEL USING A LULL AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SET ONTO A BOAT TRAILER. NO INJURED WERE SUSTAINED DURING THIS EVENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N1166L · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.