Lake LA-4-200 accident near Gt. Barrington, Massachusetts, July 25, 1990
On July 25, 1990 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N8011M, was destroyed in an accident near Gt. Barrington, Massachusetts (Great Barrington airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN THE ENGINE, THE INADEQUATE ANNUAL MAINTENANCE INSPECTION, LOW COMPRESSION, AND IMPROPER MAGNETO TIMING. A FACTOR WAS THE RESULTANT DETERIORATED CLIMB PERFORMANCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 1990 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Gt. Barrington, Massachusetts · Great Barrington
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA-4-200 · all LA-4-200s on the register
- Registration
- N8011M · no longer on the register · serial 1061
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKEOFF THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 50 FEET AGL AND THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE TWICE BY LOWERING THE NOSE, LOSING ALTITUDE EACH TIME. THE AIRPLANE THEN BANKED RIGHT BEFORE FLYING INTO TREES ABOUT 1,500 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. IMPACT OCCURRED IN A RESIDENTIAL BACKYARD. THE PASSENGER ESCAPED BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESCUE THE PILOT BEFORE FIRE CONSUMED THE CABIN. AN ENGINE RUN WAS SUCCESSFUL BUT FAILED TO ATTAIN AIR FLOW AND RPM TEST POINTS. DISASSEMBLY REVEALED CORROSION THROUGHOUT INDICATING THAT THE ENGINE HAD BEEN INACTIVE FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME. THERE WAS ALSO EVIDENCE OF MULTIPLE WORN COMPONENTS AND METAL CONTAMINATION. COMPRESSION ON CYLINDERS 1-4 WAS 65/80, 75/80, AND 69/80 RESPECTIVELY. LEFT MAGNETO TIMING WAS 24.5 DEGREES BTC VICE THE CORRECT TIMING OF 20 DEGREES BTC. AN ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON 4/5/90. THE ENGINE WAS NOT CAPABLE OF PRODUCING RATED POWER DUE TO MECHANICAL INEFFICIENCY AND WEAR LIMITS BEING EXCEEDED.
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: 655 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 5, 1990
- Maximum gross weight: 2,690 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: Lake Garfield MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 2,600 ft by 50 ft
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 | |||
| 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.