Lake LA-4 N68DG

Summary

On 9 June 1990 at about 20:30 local time, a Lake LA-4 registered N68DG was involved in an accident near Onalaska, Washington, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 June 1990 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Onalaska, Washington, United States

Coordinates

46.5997, -122.6700

Aircraft

Lake LA-4

Registration

N68DG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Newport → Renton

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA90FA171

3 people died.

IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER AND TERRAIN CONDITIONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

BEFORE DEPG ON A FLT FROM NEWPORT, OR, TO RENTON WA, THE PLT OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING. HE WAS ADZD THAT THE WX WAS MARGINAL VFR & FORECAST TO BE VARIABLE IMC ALONG THE ROUTE. HE DID NOT DECLARE HIS INTENTIONS OR FILE A FLT PLAN, BUT TOOK OFF ABOUT 2 HRS LATER. WHEN THE ACFT DID NOT ARRIVE, A SEARCH WAS MADE. IT WAS NOT FOUND UNTIL 8/24/90. THE PLANE HAD CRASHED ON WOODED/MOUTAINOUS TERRAIN, NEAR THE HEAD OF A CANYON AT AN ELEV OF ABOUT 1800'. IMPACT OCCURRED ON A HEADING OF 165 DEG; ENTRANCE TO THE CANYON WAS SOUTH OF THE CRASH SITE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR ENG WAS FOUND. APRX 16 MI SSW AT TOLEDO (ELEV 371'), THE 1345 PDT WX WAS IN PART: 1200' OVC, 8 MI VIS WITH LIGHT RAIN, WIND FROM 330 DEG AT 9 KTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.