Lake LA-4-200 accident near Cusick, Washington, March 14, 2004
On March 14, 2004 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Lake LA-4-200, registered N65675, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cusick, Washington. 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 failure to adequately compensate for crosswind conditions and his failure to maintain proper alignment in the direction of landing during the touchdown portion of a water landing on a river. Factors include crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 2004 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cusick, Washington · map
- 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
- N65675 · no longer on the register · serial 600
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a series of water landings on a river in a 10 knot crosswind that was occasionally gusting to near 15 knots. During the accident landing, he inadvertently let the aircraft touch down in a sideways drift, resulting in the left wing digging into the water, damaging the left wing sponson and the structure of the wing itself. Immediately after the accident, the pilot taxied to the shore of a small island in the river in order to avoid the possibility that the aircraft may sink if it was taking on water. During that taxi, the tip of the left wing remained under the water. A post-accident inspection of the aircraft by an FAA Inspector did not reveal any evidence of a flight control anomaly, and according to the pilot, there was no indication that there had been any functional problem with the aircraft.
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
- Flight time: 157 hours in all; 86 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 91 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 25, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,959 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 24, 2003; 86 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,690 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Cusick WA at 6:55 pm
- Destination: Cusick WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°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.