Consolidated Aeronautics LAKE LA-4-200 N8BZ

Summary

On 12 January 2025 at about 14:15 local time, a Consolidated Aeronautics LAKE LA-4-200 registered N8BZ was involved in an accident near Orange, Massachusetts, United States. One person was 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

12 January 2025 at 14:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Orange, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Orange Municipal Airport (ORE)

Coordinates

42.5700, -72.2885

Aircraft

Consolidated Aeronautics LAKE LA-4-200

Registration

N8BZ

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Keene

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA25LA100

Nobody was injured.

Failure of the left main landing gear to fully extend and lock for undetermined reasons as a functional test of the landing gear system could not duplicate the anomaly.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the amphibian airplane reported that while on approach to the destination airport, he attempted to extend the landing gear. The nose landing gear and right main landing gear extended and locked; however, the left main landing gear only partially extended. The pilot could not correct the anomaly by troubleshooting and using the emergency checklist. He subsequently elected to return to his home airport and perform a gear-up landing on a grass area adjacent to the runway. During the landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage bulkheads and right wing. The pilot and a mechanic recovered the airplane to a hangar. Several days later, under the supervision of a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, they were able to cycle the landing gear five times with no anomalies noted. The mechanic added that perhaps ice interfered with the left main landing gear, but he could not be sure. .

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.