Lake LA-4-250 accident near Westport, New York, July 31, 1987
On July 31, 1987 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-250, registered N14037, was substantially damaged in an accident near Westport, New York (Lake Champlain airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 1987 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Westport, New York · Lake Champlain · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA-4-250 · all LA-4-250s on the register
- Registration
- N14037 · no longer on the register · serial 39
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG THE TAKEOFF RUN ON A LAKE, THE AMPHIBIAN ENCTRD ROUGH WATER & BECAME AIRBORNE PREMATURELY. THE ACFT THEN SETTLED ONTO THE WATER IN A SLIGHTLY NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE & TOUCHED DOWN IN FRONT OF A LARGE WAVE. THE ACFT'S NOSE CRASHED HEAD-ON INTO THE WAVE WHICH ALMOST BROUGHT THE PLANE TO A COMPLETE STOP. WITHIN SECONDS, THE NOSE SANK & THE ACFT BECAME INVERTED. THE OCCUPANTS EXITED THRU A WINDOW THAT HAD COME OUT DRG IMPACT. THE ACFT CONTD TO FLOAT, ALTHOUGH THE CABIN AREA WAS COMPLETELY SUBMERGED.
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
- Flight time: 381 hours in all; 98 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 297 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 107 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 29, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N14037 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.