Lake LA-4-200 accident near Sarasota, Florida, January 24, 1998
On January 24, 1998 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N2994P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sarasota, 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
inadequate clearance and fretting wear of the fitting/beam attachment to the angle/top beam, due to inadequate design, which resulted in fatigue and subsequent failure of the fitting/beam attachment ear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 1998 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sarasota, Florida
- 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
- N2994P · no longer on the register · serial 956
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had just completed a touch-and-go landing on a lake. During the initial climb at an altitude of less than 500 feet, the airplane shuddered, then pitched nose down. The pilot reduced power and pulled the control column with negative results, then forcibly pushed and pulled the control column, which freed the elevator control. He maneuvered the airplane for an emergency water landing. Postaccident visual examination of the airplane revealed that the left horizontal stabilizer was displaced down about 12 degrees from the normally installed position. Further examination revealed that an attachment ear for the left horizontal stabilizer fitting beam had failed due to fatigue in an area of fretting wear. Fretting wear was also detected on the adjacent angle/top beam. For comparison, the right fitting/beam and angle/top beam were removed and examined. Fretting wear was detected on both components. A small crack was also detected on an attachment for the right fitting/beam, which had originated from fretting wear associated from the respective angle/top beam. An air worthiness directive (AD 98-10-12), effective 6/8/98, was issued to inspect the affected aircraft, to ensure proper clearance, and to correct if fretting, cracking, or corrosion 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 single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,847 hours in all; 1,618 in this make and model; 81 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 2,847 as pilot in command; 1,268 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,807 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 1997; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from SRQ
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.
Other NTSB records under N2994P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.