Lake LA-4-200 accident near Orlando, Florida, December 15, 2020
On December 15, 2020 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N5023L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Orlando, Florida (Lake airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 2020 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Orlando, Florida · Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA-4-200 · all LA-4-200s on the register
- Registration
- N5023L · registry record · serial 480
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the amphibious airplane departed the lake with a passenger, landed at a nearby airport where he deplaned the passenger, and was returning to the lake for landing. When the pilot reached the lake, he noted that it was hard to judge the airplane’s distance above the calm, glassy water while landing into the direction of the setting sun. Following the landing flare, the airplane “floated” a considerable distance before bouncing multiple times. The pilot then concluded he could neither complete the landing nor abort the landing before striking structures or other obstacles on the shore and deliberately nosed the airplane into the water to arrest its forward progress. As a result, the airplane’s fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 256.3 hours in all; 14.9 in this make and model; 8.4 in the last 30 days; 256.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 12, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,952.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 27, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-AIB (piston); 1,952 hours total
- Operator: Island Hoppers Seaplanes 2 LLC
The flight
- Departed from: AVO Avon Park FL at 8:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KORL, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N5023L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA21LA078.