Aerofab Inc. LAKE 250 accident near Adirondack, New York, August 7, 1996
On August 7, 1996 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Aerofab Inc. LAKE 250, registered N8428F, was destroyed in an accident near Adirondack, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision, which resulted in his failure to ensure that he could maintain sufficient altitude and clearance from mountainous terrain after entering a blind canyon. Haze and the terrain were related factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 1996 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Adirondack, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerofab Inc. LAKE 250
- Registration
- N8428F · no longer on the register · serial 96
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was sightseeing, looking for a resort area to land. He stated that his flight was uneventful, until he initiated a climb between two mountain ranges, then he heard the stall warning horn sound. He stated that he was close to the ground, so he did not look inside the cockpit. He stated that when he added full power, the engine sounded normal, but the stall warning horn sounded a second and a third time. Also, he stated that he made a controlled stall-type landing onto the tree tops. According to an FAA safety inspector, the pilot reported that he could not see the ridge clearly due to haze. The accident site was at an approximate elevation of 2900 feet. The height of the mountain was about 3300 feet.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,456 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,410 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 346 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 10, 1996; 105 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,140 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTV Burlington VT at 3:30 pm
- Destination: SLK Saranac Lake NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from SLK, 10 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.