- Date
- September 24, 2004, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- New Milford, CT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N44LDConsolidated Aeronautics Lake LA-4-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Windsor Locks FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040924024889A
- Case key
- 60200
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 improper flair, which resulted in a nose over.
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
The pilot was practicing takeoffs on landings on a lake. During the flare, the airplane contacted the water, flipped over, and sank. The pilot reported that he intended to flair the airplane about 1 foot above water, however, he believed he actually flared "just inches" above the water. The pilot reported that the water surface had a slight ripple, and he had a good peripheral view of the shoreline during the approach.
Factual narrative
On September 24, 2004, about 1400 eastern daylight time, a Consolidated Aeronautics Inc., Lake LA-4-200, N44LD, was substantially damaged while landing on Candlewood Lake, New Milford, Connecticut. The certificated airline transport pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot stated he had completed approximately 11 uneventful takeoffs and landings on Candlewood Lake, throughout the day of accident. With regards to his twelfth landing, the pilot stated:
"...There were tree covered hills (elevation 400-500 feet) on my left, and low terrain with boat docks, homes, etc, to my right. The water had a slight ripple. I had good peripheral view of the shoreline giving me a good idea of water elevation. The approach was the same as my previous eleven that day. I rounded out, what I thought was one foot above the water, when I now believe I was in fact just inches above the water...."
The airplane contacted the water, flipped over, and sank.
The pilot stated he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions. He reported 20,000 hours of total flight experience, which included 120 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44LD
- Reported as
- Consolidated Aeronautics Lake LA-4-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1007
- Airframe hours
- 1,690
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jens Hoyt
- Registered owner
- Moose Lake Associates, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 14, 2003 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- DXR · Danbury, CT
- Destination
- NONE · New Milford, CT
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
- 55
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- July 5, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 120 in this make and model · 13,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- DXR, 9 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.