- Date
- July 16, 1988, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Candlewood Lake, CT
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5033LLake LA-4-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880716026919A
- Case key
- 36183
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 LA-4-200 made a takeoff under reported conditions of gusty wind and waves of 1 to 2 feet. The maximum demonstrated wave height for the aircraft is 1 foot. The pilot reported he aborted the takeoff due to a person on a jet ski in his way and as he tried to turn to the right a wing dug into the water and the aircraft waterlooped. The pilot reported that his two passengers and himself were rescued by boaters and the aircraft sank within 15 seconds. No witnesses were found who saw the jet ski. Witnesses reported that the aircraft experienced a loss of control during takeoff for no apparent reason.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5033L
- Reported as
- Lake LA-4-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- LA-4-200
- Airframe hours
- 1,425
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James A.Marquis
- Registered owner
- Mutual Financial Assoc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 25, 1987 · 240 hours before
- Departed
- Danbury, CT
- Destination
- 11N · New Milford, CT
- Airport
- Candlewood Lake
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 900 total · 150 in this make and model · 800 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.