Lake LA-4-200 N39450

Summary

On 5 September 1987 at about 23:23 local time, a Lake LA-4-200 registered N39450, operated by John A. Steeby, was involved in an accident near Coal Lake, Alaska, United States. 4 people were on board and one died, 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

5 September 1987 at 23:23

Classification

Accident

Location

Coal Lake, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Lake LA-4-200

Registration

N39450

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

John A. Steeby

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Coal Lake → Birchwood

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC87FA140

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT OF THE AIRPLANE STATED THAT HE HAD STEP-TAXIED TO THE EAST END OF THE LAKE IN PREPARATION FOR A TAKEOFF TO THE WEST. DURING THE TAKE OFF RUN, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE WAKE HE HAD JUST CREATED AND BECAME PREMATURELY AIRBORNE. HE REDUCED POWER IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE A FULL STALL LANDING, BUT STRUCK THE WATER HARD AND WAS THROWN FORWARD. AS HE WAS THROWN FORWARD, HE INADVERTEDLY PUSHED THE THROTTLE TO MAXIMUM. THE AIRPLANE SLEWED SIDEWAYS AND TURNED INVERTED. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER ESCAPED WITHOUT DIFFICULTY, BUT THE PILOT HAD TO DIVE UNDER THE AIRPLANE AND CUT THE OTHER TWO PASSENGERS FROM THEIR RETRAINTS. ONE OF THESE PASSENGERS LATER DIED FROM HER INJURIES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.