- Date
- July 20, 1991, 19:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Eagle Lake, ME
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4504MPiper PA-11
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910720031979A
- Case key
- 36968
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 misjudgment of his altitude during a landing on glassy water, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.
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 airplane was making touch and go landings on a lake. The pilot said he was making a slight bank correction, when the left float dragged in the water. The airplane cartwheeled and sank in 130 feet of water. The pilot said his depth perception was poor, because of 'glassy water' conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4504M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-11
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11-7
- Engine
- Continental C90-8F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Conrad El Daigle
- Registered owner
- Conrad El Daigle
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- Daigle Pond, ME
- Airport
- NONE · Eagle 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 2,800 total · 2,800 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- 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.
Other investigations on N4504M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.