Lake LA-4 accident near Onalaska, Washington, June 9, 1990
On June 9, 1990 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Lake LA-4, registered N68DG, was destroyed in an accident near Onalaska, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER AND TERRAIN CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 1990 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Onalaska, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Lake LA-4 · all LA-4s on the register
- Registration
- N68DG · registry record · serial 382
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BEFORE DEPG ON A FLT FROM NEWPORT, OR, TO RENTON WA, THE PLT OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING. HE WAS ADZD THAT THE WX WAS MARGINAL VFR & FORECAST TO BE VARIABLE IMC ALONG THE ROUTE. HE DID NOT DECLARE HIS INTENTIONS OR FILE A FLT PLAN, BUT TOOK OFF ABOUT 2 HRS LATER. WHEN THE ACFT DID NOT ARRIVE, A SEARCH WAS MADE. IT WAS NOT FOUND UNTIL 8/24/90. THE PLANE HAD CRASHED ON WOODED/MOUTAINOUS TERRAIN, NEAR THE HEAD OF A CANYON AT AN ELEV OF ABOUT 1800'. IMPACT OCCURRED ON A HEADING OF 165 DEG; ENTRANCE TO THE CANYON WAS SOUTH OF THE CRASH SITE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR ENG WAS FOUND. APRX 16 MI SSW AT TOLEDO (ELEV 371'), THE 1345 PDT WX WAS IN PART: 1200' OVC, 8 MI VIS WITH LIGHT RAIN, WIND FROM 330 DEG AT 9 KTS.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,196 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1989; 77 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ONP Newport OR at 8:30 pm
- Destination: RNT Renton WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 9 knots
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from T09, 16 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA90FA171.