Lake LA-4-200 accident near Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, July 2, 1996
On July 2, 1996 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N51DG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing and nose over. The glassy water condition was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 1996 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA-4-200 · all LA-4-200s on the register
- Registration
- N51DG · registry record · serial 1031
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft nosed over and submerged in water during a landing on Lake Wentworth. According to the pilot, while en route, he decided to do a touch-and-go landing on the lake. He reported: 'The lake was calm. I entered downwind, and went through the checklist, using the manufacturer's card. Then when turning base, I again went through the checklist by using the card. On final I did a visual again of landing gear, flaps, trim, prop, and mixture. I trimmed the plane for a glassy water landing, when I heard the keel touch the water with a nice sharp slicing sound, and then a loud roar. The next thing I knew I was looking up from the bottom of the lake. When I came up to the top of the water, the plane was in pieces. I was shortly picked up by 2 men and a woman in a boat.' The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction. The nose of the aircraft was totally destroyed, and was held onto the main fuselage by hydraulic lines, and electrical wiring. The fuselage longerons were bent upwards. The tail of the aircraft was bent up and forward. There were several propeller cut marks in the leading edges of the vertical and right horizontal stabilizer.' Examination of the aircraft did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunction.
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: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 316 hours in all; 142 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 204 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 697 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 2,690 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming LA-4-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Gilmanton NH
- Destination: 8B8
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.