Lake LA-4-200 accident near Eden Prairie, Minnesota, April 23, 1990
On April 23, 1990 at about 1:45 am local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N9309N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eden Prairie, Minnesota (Flying Cloud airport). 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
COLLISION WITH ANIMAL, FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE LIGHT CONDITION, DUSK, AND REMEDIAL ACTION WAS NOT POSSIBLE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 1990 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Eden Prairie, Minnesota · Flying Cloud · 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
- N9309N · no longer on the register · serial 471
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SAID THAT DURING THE LANDING FLARE, AT DUSK, A DEER RAN ACROSS THE PATH OF THE ACFT AND WAS STRUCK BY THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR. THE RIGHT WING WAS SHEARED OFF, WITH THE GEAR ATTACHED, AND THE ACFT CARTWHEELED TO A STOP.
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: 5,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 4,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ 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 IO-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WS24 Round Lake WI
- Destination: FCM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 3,909 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 130° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from FCM, 1 miles away
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 N9309N 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.