Consolidated Aeronautics INC. LAKE LA-4-200 accident near Twentynine Palms, California, April 21, 2021
On April 21, 2021 at about 9:10 pm local time, a 1979 Consolidated Aeronautics INC. LAKE LA-4-200, registered N2989P, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Twentynine Palms, California (Twentynine Palms airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to inadequate ignition from cracked spark plugs and a failed magneto.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 2021 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- Twentynine Palms, California · Twentynine Palms · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Consolidated Aeronautics INC. LAKE LA-4-200, built 1979 · all LAKE LA-4-200s on the register
- Registration
- N2989P · no longer on the register · serial 954
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had recently purchased the airplane and was transporting it to his home airport. During the cross-country flight, the pilot stopped to refuel the airplane. During departure, the airplane climbed to an altitude of about 200 ft above ground level, at which point the engine lost partial power and was unable to maintain altitude. The pilot elected to perform an emergency off-airport landing, and the airplane touched down on desert terrain. During the landing, the airplane collided with a sign and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The airplane had undergone a pre-buy and an annual inspection about 10 flight hours before the accident. The pilot stated that, on the day before the accident, he flight tested the airplane, during which time the manual turbocharger went into overboost for “a second” before he pulled the power back. A postaccident examination revealed that several ceramic cores of the spark plugs were cracked. The combustion chambers were free from deposits, consistent with a preignition or detonation event. It is unknown if the overboost event that the pilot described resulted in this damage. The magnetos, while still installed on the engine, did not produce a consistent spark, and their timing could not be determined. The magnetos were then removed from the engine. The right magneto was functionally tested and operated normally. The left magneto capacitor lead insulation had previously been cut, exposing the center conductor wire, consistent with improper assembly. The contact point tungsten faces were both corroded and exhibited an oxide crust on the external surfaces of the tungsten. A functional test, revealed the left magneto would not produce spark at different rpms. The left magneto was likely not operating during the accident takeoff, which, along with the cracked spark plugs, would have resulted in a partial loss of engine power.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Magneto/distributor › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Spark plugs/igniters › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,963 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 3,730 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 4, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,737 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2021; 10 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 1,737 hours total
The flight
- Destination: KGEU Glendale AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 8 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from KNXP, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KNXP 212056Z AUTO 28008G19KT 9SM CLR 24/M02 A2978 RMK AO2 SLP051 T02441022 57014
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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 WPR21LA171.