Consolidated Aeronautics INC. LAKE LA-4-200 accident near Mio, Michigan, June 28, 2021
On June 28, 2021 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1979 Consolidated Aeronautics INC. LAKE LA-4-200, registered N963L, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Mio, Michigan (Oscoda County Dennis Kauffman 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 pilot’s failure to abort the takeoff roll when the engine did not produce full power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2021 · about 6:00 pm local time · cases in 2021
- Place
- Mio, Michigan · Oscoda County Dennis Kauffman · 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
- Consolidated Aeronautics INC. LAKE LA-4-200, built 1979 · all LAKE LA-4-200s on the register
- Registration
- N963L · no longer on the register · serial 963
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed a preflight inspection of the airplane and an engine run-up before departing on a personal flight. During the takeoff roll, the tachometer indicated 200 rpm below normal, which was an indication that the engine was not producing full power. The pilot continued the takeoff, and after liftoff, the airplane would not accelerate. The airplane descended and impacted terrain resulting in substantial damage to both wings. The low engine power indication should have prompted the pilot to abort the takeoff, which would have avoided the accident. A postaccident examination of the engine was not performed because the airplane owner did not make the engine available.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Powerplant parameters › Related operating info
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 408 hours in all; 107 in this make and model; 289 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 30, 2019
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,077.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,960 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Destination: Lewiston MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 12,000 ft; clear at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.16 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from KY31, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 17, 2023. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Email to Aircraft Owner for Engine Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo | PDF, 1 page · our copy | 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
- N963L: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Consolidated Aeronautics Inc. LAKE LA-4-200 139 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Oscoda County/Dennis Kauffman Memorial · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Michigan 2,107 since 1982 · 230 in the last ten years
- Michigan 7,224 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN21LA294.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.