Lake LA-4-200 accident near Headland, Alabama, April 30, 2002
On April 30, 2002 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N3121P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Headland, Alabama (Headland Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power for undetermined reason resulting in damage to the airplane during the subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2002 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Headland, Alabama · Headland Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA-4-200 · all LA-4-200s on the register
- Registration
- N3121P · no longer on the register · serial 983
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff on runway 17, he retracted the landing gear, and noted that the airplane "did not continue to climb." He turned away from a populated area, and headed back towards the airport. He stated that the airplane "did not appear to be developing adequate power and was descending. The pilot elected to keep the landing gear up and land in a soft plowed field, about 500 yards southeast of the airport. Upon touchdown the airplane's left float separated, and the left wing impacted with the ground. After the accident a test run on the engine revealed that the engine was run to 2600 RPM, and no discrepancies were found.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 20,396 hours in all; 316 in this make and model; 157 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days; 19,925 as pilot in command; 14,959 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 14, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,529 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 28, 2001; 30 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: 0J6 Headland AL at 6:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,848 ft by 162 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from KDHN, 18 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.