Aerofab Inc. LAKE LA-250 accident near Miami, Florida, October 29, 1997
On October 29, 1997 at about 11:09 pm local time, a Aerofab Inc. LAKE LA-250, registered N85HG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Miami, Florida. 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
loss of engine power for an undetermined reason(s), which resulted in a forced landing and subsequent encounter with rough water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 1997 · about 11:09 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerofab Inc. LAKE LA-250 LAKE LA-25
- Registration
- N85HG · registry record · serial 81
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that his engine was running rough and losing power. He made a forced landing in water about 3 miles south of the shoreline. The pilot said that after the airplane touched down in the water, he began water taxing towards land. He further said that because darkness was near, he step-taxied toward land to arrive sooner. Due to insufficient power and fading light, he discontinued the step taxi. At some point during the taxi, one wing began riding lower than the other until the wing was wet, and the taxi speed became slower. Eventually, he reached land, where he moored the airplane. The pilot noted that the left break away sponson-pontoon broke away, and the airplane also sustained damage from the dock. The pilot had the airplane towed to a maintenance facility were the engine was examined. No reason was found for the loss of engine power.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 517 hours in all; 157 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 394 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,079 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 1997; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,140 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AA1AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Elissar Technologies INC.
The flight
- Departed from: FLL Ft Lauderdale FL at 10:15 pm
- Destination: EYW Key West FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 050° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.