Lake LA-4-200 accident near Have De Grace, Maryland, April 28, 1990
On April 28, 1990 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N1086L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Have De Grace, Maryland (Havre De Grace Sea Plane airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, AND USED EXCESSIVE BRAKING TRYING TO REGAIN CONTROL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 1990 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Have De Grace, Maryland · Havre De Grace Sea Plane · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA-4-200 · all LA-4-200s on the register
- Registration
- N1086L · registry record · serial 679
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER LEAVING THE DOCK, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE CHECKED FOR BOAT TRAFFIC IN THE AREA THAT HE WAS GOING TO USE FOR TAKEOFF. HE NOTED THAT MOST OF THE BOATS WERE IN THE 20 FOOT RANGE AND WERE TAVELING IN A NORTH/SOUTH DIRECTION. ABOUT 3 SECONDS INTO HIS TAKEOFF HE OBSERVED A WAKE OF WATER TRAVELING EAST/WEST AND ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE WAKE ABOUT THE TIME IT COMBINED WITH ANOTHER WAKE TRAVELING NORTH/SOUTH WHICH RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE A/C.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,055 hours in all; 393 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,116 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 7, 1989
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Seawind Airways, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 8,000 ft by 500 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from BWI, 41 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO90LA040.