Lake LA4 accident near Kenosha, Wisconsin, September 27, 2012
On September 27, 2012 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Lake LA4, registered N1127L, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Kenosha, Wisconsin (Kenosha Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because examination and test run of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 27, 2012 · about 7:30 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Kenosha, Wisconsin · Kenosha Regional · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA4 · all LA4s on the register
- Registration
- N1127L · registry record · serial 289
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident flight was the airplane’s first flight after its annual maintenance inspection was completed. The pilot stated that the pretakeoff engine run-up was normal; however, during the takeoff, the engine started to "sputter”; the pilot continued the flight straight ahead, but the engine subsequently lost total power, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a grassy area. Examination and test run of the engine did not reveal any abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,223 hours in all; 725 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,089 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 28, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,999 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 17, 2012
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KENW Kenosha WI
- Destination: KLOT Romeoville IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07R, 5,499 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,600 ft; a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 7:32 pm from KENW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on May 30, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Reports from Federal Agencies | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Reports from Federal Agencies | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Other Pertinent Forms and Reports | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo: Accident Airplane (FAA Photo) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1127L on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Lake LA-4 137 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Lake 137 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A 601 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Kenosha Regional · nearest airport
- Lewis University Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Wisconsin 1,622 since 1982 · 226 in the last ten years
- Wisconsin 6,164 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12LA661.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.