Lake LA-4-200 accident near Lakeside, Montana, August 26, 1988
On August 26, 1988 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N1299L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakeside, Montana (Flathead Lake airport). It was a personal 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
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
- August 26, 1988 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeside, Montana · Flathead Lake · map
- 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
- N1299L · no longer on the register · serial 726
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT AND HIS PAX DEPARTED BZN AT 1500 MDT AND FLEW TO HUGHES BAY ON FLATHEAD LAKE, NEAR LAKESIDE, MT, ARRIVING AT APRX 1700. THE PLT SAID HE NOTICED A DIMINISHING WAVE PATTERN FROM THE SOUTHWEST AND A STRONG GUST SURFACE PATTERN FROM THE EAST. THERE WERE NO WHITECAPS BUT THE WATER WAS ROUGHER TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE. HE ESTIMATED THE WINDS WERE FROM THE EAST AT 5 KTS. THE PLT DRAGGED THE INTENDED LANDING AREA AND DECIDED IT WAS SAFE TO LAND. PLT MADE STEP-LANDING. ACFT GRAZED FIRST WAVE AT 65 MPH, BOUNCED OFF SECOND WAVE, AND SETTLED ON THIRD WAVE. IT THEN SPUN 90 DEG TO THE RIGHT. THE PLT LATER DISCOVERED THE LEFT FLOAT COLLAPSED, THE RIGHT FLOAT CRUSHED, AND OTHER SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AFT FUSELAGE. THE PLT SUSPECTS HE STRUCK FLOATING DEBRIS IN THE LAKE. THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK RECOMMENDS A FULL STALL LANDING IN HIGH WIND/WAVE CONDITIONS.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,280 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 6,280 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,210 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 15, 1988; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BZN Belgrade MT at 9:00 pm
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 22 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from FCA, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.