- Date
- May 25, 1983, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Vinalhaven, ME
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5015LLake LA-4-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830525023009A
- Case key
- 35111
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 acft crashed following a water takeoff from a small lake. The pilot and witnesses stated that for approximately two hours before departure an attempt was made to remove water from the tail section of the acft. The water had accumulated due to a missing rear plug in the fuselage. Witnesses stated that after several unsuccessful takeoff attempts the acft tookoff but climbed slowly and appeared to be out of control. The pilot stated that after takeoff he could not lower the nose or maintain airspeed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5015L
- Reported as
- Lake LA-4-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 472
- Airframe hours
- 646
- Engine
- Lycoming TO-360-A1B, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Eugene Hurtubise, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 1983 · 1 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 262 total · 115 in this make and model · 207 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.