- Date
- July 12, 1990, 18:15 local (Jul 13, 1990, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Bellingham, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6686LLake LA-4-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900713025459A
- Case key
- 41237
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
Collision with a submerged object.
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 pilot and his passenger were doing a series of landings on lake whatcom. During the second takeoff run, the lake amphibian struck and unseen object, tearing a hole in the hull. The aircraft sank a few minnutes after the occupants escaped.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6686L
- Reported as
- Lake LA-4-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 449
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Whidbey Island Navy Flying Cl
- Departed
- NUW · Whidbey Nas, WA
- Destination
- Lake Whatcom, WA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Lake Whatcom
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 9,360 total · 10 in this make and model · 5,025 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F
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 N6686L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.