Lake LA-4-200 accident near Winter Haven, Florida, August 29, 1999
On August 29, 1999 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N8002H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winter Haven, Florida (Gilbert Field). It was an instructional 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
the pilot-in command/flight instructor allowed the student pilot to get the nose of the airplane too low in the water causing a loss of directional control and a subsequent impact of the right wing in the water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 1999 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Winter Haven, Florida · Gilbert Field · 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
- N8002H · no longer on the register · serial 1000
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight had landed on the lake after the pilots had been practicing landings and takeoffs. While attempting a water take off in a left step turn the bow was allowed to get too low causing the right front portion of the hull to dig in and spin the aircraft about 180 degrees. The flight instructor stated, '...I took control of the aircraft when the student did not correct the pitch attitude, but a split second too late.' The pilot receiving instruction stated, '...while completing a step turn taxi maneuver to the left apparently I allowed the bow to become too low swinging the aircraft 180 degrees to the right causing damage....'
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 9,000 as pilot in command; 2,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 789 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1998; 97 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
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from MCO, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.