Lake LA-250 accident near Frankfort, Michigan, July 18, 1986
On July 18, 1986 at about 1:35 am local time, a Lake LA-250, registered N1402X, was destroyed in an accident near Frankfort, Michigan (Frankfort Muni 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1986 · about 1:35 am local time
- Place
- Frankfort, Michigan · Frankfort Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA-250
- Registration
- N1402X · registry record · serial 24
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THAT DURING AN ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND, A CROSSWIND CAUGHT THE RIGHT WING AND BLEW THE ACFT TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT WING HIT A HANGAR DOOR & WAS TORN OFF, THEN THE ACFT CRASHED TO THE GROUND & CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. THE WIND WAS RPRTD TO BE GUSTING TO 17 KNOTS.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 156 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 42 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 74 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1985; 74 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,050 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TVC Traverse City MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 3,250 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 am from TVC, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.