Lake LA4 accident near Catskill, New York, July 25, 2024
On July 25, 2024 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1965 Lake LA4, registered N1166L, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Catskill, New York. 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during a takeoff from water in gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2024 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Catskill, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA4, built 1965 · all LA4s on the register
- Registration
- N1166L · registry record · serial 328
- 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 reported that he landed on a river uneventfully. After taxiing on the river for a while, he noticed that the wind had increased when he attempted to take off. As soon as the airplane lifted off from the water, it settled back down and violently turned 90°. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that he was able to taxi to a boat ramp after the impact with water. The airplane’s empennage was substantially damaged during the accident. The reported weather at an airport located 28 miles away from the accident site, about the time of the accident, included a left quartering headwind at 9 knots, gusting to 22 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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 510 hours in all; 410 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 510 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 177 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 11, 2024; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 (piston); 1,498 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 1B1 Hudson NY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 9 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from PSF, 28 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPSF 252054Z AUTO 29009G22KT 10SM SCT055 24/12 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP136 T02440122 56007
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 ERA24LA324.