Lake LA-4-200 N85213

Summary

On 17 December 2008 at about 16:00 local time, a Lake LA-4-200 registered N85213 was involved in an accident near Apopka, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

17 December 2008 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Apopka, Florida, United States

Coordinates

28.6117, -81.5969

Aircraft

Lake LA-4-200

Registration

N85213

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Orlando → Apopka

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09CA121

Nobody was injured.

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 had completed two water landings to a lake and was climbing the airplane for a third when, about 200 feet above the water, he reduced power to simulate a "power out or reduced power landing." As the pilot "attempted to round out the glide for the landing," he could not arrest the descent and the airplane landed hard. The pilot took off again, then made a precautionary water landing to a full stop. The airplane and engine appeared to be undamaged, so the pilot took off again and made two touch-and-go landings to another lake, followed by a full stop landing. At that point the engine sounded "rough," so the pilot taxied to shore where he discovered that a propeller blade tip was missing, that a propeller strike had occurred to the turtle top, and that the hull was taking on water. Mechanics later changed the propeller, and the airplane was deemed airworthy to fly to another location for further inspection. A few days later, structural damage was found to cross-frames in the hull. Weather at a nearby airport, about the time of the hard landing, included clear skies and calm winds.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.