Lake LA-4-200 accident near Hollywood, Florida, July 14, 1984
On July 14, 1984 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N8001E, was destroyed in an accident near Hollywood, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 1984 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Hollywood, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA-4-200 · all LA-4-200s on the register
- Registration
- N8001E · no longer on the register · serial 992
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER ARRIVING AT SOUTH LAKE, THE PLT MADE A WATER LANDING ON A WESTERLY HEADING. HE STATED THAT HE WAS ATTEMPTING A STEP-LANDING & AFTER TOUCHING DOWN, THE ACFT TRAVELED ABOUT 100 FT, THEN THE CONTROL YOKE WAS JERKED FROM HIS HANDS. HE & THE PASSENGERS STATED THAT IT FELT LIKE THE NOSE COLLAPSED & THE ACFT FLIPPED OVER. A WITNESS STATED THAT HE DISTINCTLY REMEMBERED OBSERVING THAT THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED. THE NOSE & LEFT MAIN GEAR WERE FOUND IN THE UP & LOCKED POSITION. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WAS UNLOCKED, BUT IT WAS DAMAGED. THE RIGHT WING FLOAT HAD SEPARATED, ITS MOUNTING BRACKETS WERE BENT AFT & INBOARD. ALSO, THE OUTER PORTION OF THE RIGHT WING WAS DEFORMED UPWARD & AFT. ABOUT 10 MI NORTH AT FT LAUDERDALE, FL, THE 1342 EDT WIND WAS FROM 120 DEG AT 9 KTS.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 72 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 3,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 352 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 25, 1984; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLL Ft. Lauderdale FL at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:47 pm from FLL, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.