Lake LA-4-200 accident near Battle Creek, Michigan, June 1, 1991
On June 1, 1991 at about 5:10 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N2596P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Battle Creek, Michigan. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AIRCRAFT CONTROL BY THE DUAL STUDENT WAS NOT MAINTAINED, REMEDIAL ACTION BY THE CFI WAS DELAYED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL/MUSH. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS ROUGH WATER CAUSED BY A POWER BOAT WAKE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 1991 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Battle Creek, Michigan
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA-4-200 · all LA-4-200s on the register
- Registration
- N2596P · registry record · serial 879
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI SAID THAT WHILE TAXIING ON STEP THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED A POWER BOATS WAKE AND BECAME AIRBORNE. THE STUDENT PILOT REDUCED THE POWER, AND THE ACFT PITCHED DOWN. THE CFI TOOK OER THE CONTROLS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO ARREST THE DESCENT AND THE ACFT STRUCK THE WATER NOSE DOWN, AT ABOUT A 30 DEGREE ANGLE. THE ACFT NOSE FILLED WITH WATER AND SANK.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: gyroplane; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,100 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,850 as pilot in command; 1,300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Brook Aero, INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; not recorded at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:30 pm from BTL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.