Aerofab Inc. Lake LA-4-250 accident near Somerset, NJ
On September 9, 2015, an Aerofab Inc. Lake LA-4-250 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Somerset, NJ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 9, 2015
- Place
- Somerset, NJ
- Aircraft
- Aerofab Inc. Lake LA-4-250 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.622°N, 74.673°W
- NTSB ID
- 20150910X60344
Official records · ERA15FA348
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn September 8, 2015, about 2048 eastern daylight time (EDT), an Aerofab Inc. Lake LA-4-250 amphibious airplane, N1401P, was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain during a forced landing after takeoff from Somerset Airport (SMQ), Bedminster, New Jersey. The private pilot was fatally injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot was reported missing September 10, 2015, by coworkers, and a search by air and ground discovered the wreckage on the SMQ property about 1300. According to the pilot's wife and his coworkers, he departed his office at 1700 on the day of the accident to recover his boat from a repair shop and return it to SMQ, where it shared hangar space with the accident airplane. A coworker estimated that, based on the time he departed the office, he would not reach SMQ until after 2000. Multiple surveillance cameras around the terminal building and mounted on the pilot's hangar captured video on the night of the accident. Review of the video revealed that the pilot arrived at SMQ at 2022 (after sunset). He towed his airplane from its hangar, parked the boat inside, disconnected his vehicle from the boat trailer, and parked the vehicle outside the hangar at 2032. The pilot then boarded his airplane, taxied away from the hangar at 2039, and departed runway 30 at 2048. Video from a camera located on the airport terminal captured a bright light travelling the opposite direction about 30
Probable cause
The pilot's attempted 180-degree return to the runway immediately after takeoff in dark night conditions, which resulted in collision with trees and terrain. Also causal was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a takeoff with little-to-no fuel on board the airplane.
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Browse: New Jersey
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
