Aerofab LAKE LA-250 N85HG

Summary

On 29 October 1997 at about 23:09 local time, a Aerofab LAKE LA-250 registered N85HG, operated by Elissar Technologies Inc., was involved in an accident near Miami, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 October 1997 at 23:09

Classification

Accident

Location

Miami, Florida, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Aerofab LAKE LA-250

Registration

N85HG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Elissar Technologies Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ft Lauderdale → Key West

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

MIA98LA014

Nobody was injured.

loss of engine power for an undetermined reason(s), which resulted in a forced landing and subsequent encounter with rough water.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that his engine was running rough and losing power. He made a forced landing in water about 3 miles south of the shoreline. The pilot said that after the airplane touched down in the water, he began water taxing towards land. He further said that because darkness was near, he step-taxied toward land to arrive sooner. Due to insufficient power and fading light, he discontinued the step taxi. At some point during the taxi, one wing began riding lower than the other until the wing was wet, and the taxi speed became slower. Eventually, he reached land, where he moored the airplane. The pilot noted that the left break away sponson-pontoon broke away, and the airplane also sustained damage from the dock. The pilot had the airplane towed to a maintenance facility were the engine was examined. No reason was found for the loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.