- Date
- July 25, 1990, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gt. Barrington, MA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8011MLake LA-4-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900725028549A
- Case key
- 36541
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 in command's failure to properly maintain the engine, the inadequate annual maintenance inspection, low compression, and improper magneto timing. A factor was the resultant deteriorated climb performance.
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
After takeoff the airplane climbed to about 50 feet AGL and the plt attempted to accelerate twice by lowering the nose, losing altitude each time. The airplane then banked right before flying into trees about 1,500 feet from the end of the runway. Impact occurred in a residential backyard. The passenger escaped but was unable to rescue the pilot before fire consumed the cabin. An engine run was successful but failed to attain air flow and RPM test points. Disassembly revealed corrosion throughout indicating that the engine had been inactive for extended periods of time. There was also evidence of multiple worn components and metal contamination. Compression on cylinders 1-4 was 65/80, 75/80, and 69/80 respectively. Left magneto timing was 24.5 degrees btc vice the correct timing of 20 degrees btc. An annual inspection was performed on 4/5/90. The engine was not capable of producing rated power due to mechanical inefficiency and wear limits being exceeded.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8011M
- Reported as
- Lake LA-4-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1061
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul E. Thorn
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 5, 1990
- Destination
- Lake Garfield, MA
- Airport
- GBR · Great Barrington, runway 29, 2,600 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 68
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 655 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.