Lake LA-4-200 accident near Orlando, Florida, September 3, 1989
On September 3, 1989 at about 5:44 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N1072L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Orlando, Florida (Orlando Executive airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
RETRACTION OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 1989 · about 5:44 pm local time · cases in 1989
- Place
- Orlando, Florida · Orlando Executive · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA-4-200 · all LA-4-200s on the register
- Registration
- N1072L · registry record · serial 665
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED (RETRACTED) ABOUT 300 YARDS DOWN THE RUNWAY & THE AIRPLANE WAS DAMAGED. AN EXAM OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED NO REASON FOR THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR TO RETRACT.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Sanford FL at 5:24 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,998 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:48 pm from ORL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1072L on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Lake LA-4 137 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Lake 137 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1B 1,068 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Orlando Executive · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 988 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,698 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/MIA89LA239.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.