- Date
- July 8, 2023, 09:10 local (13:10 UTC)
- Place
- Big Prairie, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N993PTAerofab LA-4
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20230708008699A
- Case key
- 192569
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The airplane’s collision with a submerged log during a water landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction were completing water landings in the amphibious airplane. They had already completed several landings on the same pond without incident. During the accident landing, upon touchdown the airplane impacted a submerged log, which punctured a large hole in the hull. The pilots egressed without further incident and the airplane sank. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N993PT
- Reported as
- Aerofab LA-4 (180)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 341
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 2,533
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 19, 2022
- Departed
- 3GM · Grand Haven, MI
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,372 total · 121 in this make and model · 1,266 as pilot in command · 57 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KRQB, 13 nm away
- METAR
- KRQB 081255Z AUTO 18004KT 10SM BKN041 OVC049 17/14 A2989 RMK AO2 T01660137
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 28, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.