Lake LA-4-200 N39375
4 April 1993 · Gold Bar, Washington, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 4 April 1993 at about 23:30 local time, a Lake LA-4-200 registered N39375, operated by Helgeson, Robert C., was involved in an accident near Gold Bar, Washington, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Gold Bar, Washington, United States
- Coordinates
- 47.8608, -121.6600
- Aircraft
- Lake LA-4-200
- Registration
- N39375
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Helgeson, Robert C.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lake Stevens → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA93FA091
People
4 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WHILE MANEUVERING FOR A WATER LANDING.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND SUBMERGED IN 40 FT OF WATER AND APPROXIMATELY 40 FT FROM SHORE ON THE NE END OF LAKE ISABEL. IMPACT DAMAGE WAS INDICATIVE OF A NEAR-VERTICAL NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE AT IMPACT. THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN RISES RAPIDLY ON ALL SIDES OF THE LAKE, AND THE LAKE NARROWS TO APPROXIMATELY 530 FT WIDE AT THE NE END. THE PILOT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THE PILOT HAD BEEN TAUGHT TO CIRCLE THE LAKE A FEW TIMES BEFORE LANDING TO ASSESS THE WATER CONDITIONS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Lake LA-4 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Apr 1993 | Lake LA-4 | Superior, Wisconsin, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 16 May 1993 | Lake LA-4-200 | Springport, Michigan, United States | Legg, Thomas C. | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Mar 1992 | Lake LA-4-200 | Hull, Georgia, United States | Timothy J. Young | No injuries | - |
| 12 Apr 1992 | Lake LA-4 | Lee's Summit, Missouri, United States | Ronald L. Strahm | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Aug 1992 | Lake LA-4 | Pontiac, Michigan, United States | Howard Fired & Thomas Hendren | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jun 1991 | Lake LA-4-200 | Battle Creek, Michigan, United States | Brook Aero, Inc | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Jan 1993 | Cessna A185F | Inglewood, Washington, United States | Johnson, Everett H. | No injuries | - |
| 16 Feb 1993 | Cessna 120 | Battleground, Washington, United States | Wills, Charles R. | Serious injuries | - |
| 25 Feb 1993 | Beechcraft C-99 | Seattle, Washington, United States | Ameriflight, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 25 Apr 1993 | Cessna 172C | Darrington, Washington, United States | Roulier, Brent L. | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Jul 1993 | Piper PA-34-220T | Battleground, Washington, United States | Flightcraft Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 18 Aug 1993 | Enstrom F-28C | Seattle, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |