Lake LA-4-250 accident near Laconia, New Hampshire, January 4, 1999
On January 4, 1999 at about 5:17 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-250, registered N14001, was destroyed in an accident near Laconia, New Hampshire (Laconia Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power during initial climb due to oil starvation. Contributing to the accident was the failure to perform an engine overhaul.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 1999 · about 5:17 pm local time
- Place
- Laconia, New Hampshire · Laconia Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA-4-250 · all LA-4-250s on the register
- Registration
- N14001 · registry record · serial 6
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner, sitting in the left seat, and flight instructor were on an instructional instrument flight. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane was seen trailing smoke. The smoke and engine noise stopped, then started again as the airplane leveled off, and began a left, 180-degree turn. The smoke and engine noise again stopped. Then the airplane descended, impacted a parking lot in a left-wing-down attitude, and bounced through a snow bank and down a 15-foot embankment, onto a field. It then rolled upside down, and caught on fire. A large hole was in the top of the engine crankcase, in line with a dislodged number 4 connecting rod. A hole in the bottom of the case was in line with a dislodged number 5 connecting rod. The number 1 connecting rod bearing and journal had light distress scoring in line with the oil supply hole. The number 2 connecting rod bearing and journal were normal, except for fire and heat damage to the bearing. The number 3, 4, 5, and 6 connecting rod journals had heavy distress scoring with extruded bearings. The injuries sustained by the pilot/owner precluded any recollection of the flight. He was not known to preheat the engine, and there were no witnesses to the airplane's preflight, start, runup or takeoff. Outside air temperature was 23 degrees Fahrenheit, and the airplane was stored in an unheated hangar. Recommended time between engine overhaul was 2,000 hours, or 12 years, which ever came first. The engine had in excess of 919 hours of operation, was built over 15 years earlier, and had not had an overhaul.
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 3,140 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LCI Laconia NH at 5:15 pm
- Destination: MHT Manchester NH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26, 5,286 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from LCI, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.