Lake LA-4-200 accident near Wilmot, New Hampshire, July 5, 2004
On July 5, 2004 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N6248V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wilmot, New Hampshire. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued VFR flight into IMC conditions, and his failure to maintain terrain clearance, which resulted in a controlled flight into terrain. Factors in the accident were the low cloud ceiling and the pilot's lack of recent instrument time.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2004 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wilmot, New Hampshire · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA-4-200 · all LA-4-200s on the register
- Registration
- N6248V · no longer on the register · serial 861
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed under visual flight rules (VFR) and was flying under a cloud layer at an altitude that was approximately 500-800 feet above the trees. When the VFR conditions worsened, he "stayed on instruments," at an altitude of 3,500 feet msl, and shortly thereafter, the airplane impacted terrain, approximately 500 feet from the summit of a 2,937-foot mountain. When asked what caused the accident, the pilot stated, "Controlled flight into terrain." Witnesses reported at the time of the accident, the mountain was obscured by a cloud layer from its summit, down to about 2,000 feet, and the lateral visibility was approximately 200 feet. Examination of the airplane revealed no pre-impact mechanical deficiencies. The pilot received his instrument rating 5 years prior to the accident, and had logged a total of 5.4 hours of instrument time during 4 flights since then. The pilot's most recent instrument experience was 3 years prior to the accident, when he logged 0.5 hours of actual instrument time.
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: 479 hours in all; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 408 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,934 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 2003; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PBG Plattsburgh NY at 5:38 pm
- Destination: CON Concord NH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from CON, 18 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.
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.