- Date
- July 21, 1985, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sidney, ME
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6668LLake LA-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850721059119A
- Case key
- 35926
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
According to the plt, the acft was on step and in indicating about 45 KTS airspeed. It then encountered a boat wake and began flying. The acft porpoised 2 or 3 times and then collided with the water in an estimated 10 to 15 deg nose down attitude. The pwr was off. During the collision, the left pontoon became detached and the acft began to fill with water. The acft sank in about 4 minutes according to the plt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6668L
- Reported as
- Lake LA-4
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 431
- Airframe hours
- 765
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard T. Dick
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1985
- Destination
- Moosehead Lake, ME
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 375 total · 375 in this make and model · 375 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AUG
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.