- Date
- April 7, 2010, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Moore Haven, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4GSConsolidated Aeronautics Lake LA-4-200
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Dragged wing/rotor/float/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100407033039A
- Case key
- 75725
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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control 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 pilot of the amphibious airplane was performing numerous touch-and-go water landings to a lake. During the last landing, to the south, the airplane touched down with the nose a "little bit" to the right, the left sponson then hit the water, and the airplane water looped. Several minutes later, the airplane sank to the bottom of the lake. The airplane incurred substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane prior to the accident. A weather observation taken about the time of the accident, and approximately 25 miles north of the accident site, included winds from 180 degrees true at 8 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the amphibious airplane was performing numerous touch and go water landings to a lake. During the last landing, to the south, the airplane touched down with the nose a "little bit" to the right, the left sponson then hit the water, and the airplane water looped. Several minutes later, the airplane sank to the bottom of the lake. The airplane incurred substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane prior to the accident. A weather observation taken about the time of the accident, and approximately 25 miles north of the accident site, included winds from 180 degrees true at 8 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4GS
- Reported as
- Consolidated Aeronautics Lake LA-4-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 738
- Airframe hours
- 2,262
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360 SER A&C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fish N Fly LLC
- Registered owner
- Fish N Fly LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 19, 2010
- Departed
- KLNA · West Palm Beach, FL
- Destination
- KOBE · Okeechobee, FL
- Airport
- OBE · Okeechobee County Airport
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 17, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 395 total · 260 in this make and model · 367 as pilot in command · 53 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KOBE, 25 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.