- Date
- October 10, 1991, 14:32 local (19:32 UTC)
- Place
- Panama City, FL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N25PALake LA-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911010045619A
- Case key
- 33018
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
Loss of power due to undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the cfi's inadequate emergency procedures following the reported loss of power.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While on the downwind leg after the student positioned the propeller control to the high RPM position, the CFI stated that he heard a loud noise & the eng experienced a loss of power. The CFI took control of the acft, immediately initiated a descent, positioned the propeller control to the low RPM position, but never looked at the eng instruments. While descending the acft collided with trees, then came to rest inverted on the ground. The acft was examined which revealed fuel quantity sufficient to sustain eng operation. The eng was removed for further examination which revealed no evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction. The prop & prop governor were removed for exam which revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. No determination could be made as to the reason for the reported loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25PA
- Reported as
- Lake LA-4
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 427
- Airframe hours
- 1,253
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Panama Aviation
- Registered owner
- Panama Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 2, 1991 · 6 hours before
- Airport
- PFN · Panama City-Bay County
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
- 67
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 15,900 total · 510 in this make and model · 15,300 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.