Lake LA-4-200 accident near Claremore, Oklahoma, April 28, 2000
On April 28, 2000 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N5023L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Claremore, Oklahoma (Avian County Estates airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. 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 premature raising of the flaps.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2000 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Claremore, Oklahoma · Avian County Estates · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people 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
During the demonstration flight, the pilot-in-command (PIC)/airplane owner occupied the right front seat, and the prospective buyer occupied the left front seat. After circling the airport to confirm wind sock position and that the 2,400-foot grass runway was clear of obstructions, a pattern entry was made for landing to the south. On final approach, the pilots noted that the airplane was low on the approach, and the left seat pilot added power. Subsequently, the airplane was too far down the runway and the airspeed was too fast for the landing. The PIC called for a go-around, and the left seat pilot added full power. The airplane flew in ground effect, about 5 feet agl, for several hundred feet. Subsequently, the airplane climbed to about 20 feet agl, and the left seat pilot retracted the landing gear. The PIC raised the flaps, and the airplane settled to 5 to 10 feet agl and impacted a fence and trees. During a post accident compression check of the engine, the prospective buyer and his mechanic found that the #2 intake valve was leaking.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 3,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,870 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 16, 1999; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 107 OK at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,400 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 FTW00LA133.