Lake LA4-250 accident near Shaftsbury, Vermont, May 29, 1988
On May 29, 1988 at about 6:47 pm local time, a Lake LA4-250, registered N1405F, was destroyed in an accident near Shaftsbury, Vermont. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- May 29, 1988 · about 6:47 pm local time
- Place
- Shaftsbury, Vermont
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA4-250 · all LA4-250s on the register
- Registration
- N1405F · no longer on the register · serial 50
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE LAKE AMPHIBIAN WAS BEING FLOWN WITH TWO FERRY TANKS INSTALLED IN THE CABIN. THE PILOT DEPARTED WITH FULL FUEL IN THE AIRCRAFT TANKS AND 15 GALLONS IN THE FERRY TANKS. THE CENTER OF GRAVITY AT ZERO FUEL WEIGHT WAS 3/4 INCH PAST THE AFT LIMIT. WITH ADDITION OF FUEL THE POSITION OF THE CG REMAINED UNCHANGED, HOWEVER, THE AFT LIMIT OF THE ENVELOPE MOVED FORWARD WITH HIGHER WEIGHTS. A CONNECTION WHERE THE FERRY TANKS WERE PLUMBED INTO THE AIRCRAFT SYSTEM LEAKED AND ALLOWED AIR TO BE SUCKED INTO THE SYSTEM. WITNESSES REPORTED THE ENGINE INTERMITTENT, THEN THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A SPIN FROM WHICH IT DID NOT RECOVER.
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: 9,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 109 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 1988; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,050 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AGC Pittsburgh PA at 3:20 pm
- Destination: LCI Laconia NH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.