On October 13, 1982, a Lake LA-4-200 (registration N6179V) operated by James W. Christopher was involved in an aviation accident near Coeur D'alene, ID. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the go-around, which was attributed to the challenging visual conditions of glassy water and dusk. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft bounced on touchdown and initiated a go-around, drifting left to strike a log boom piling before crashing into the water and sinking under glassy conditions.
What happened
The pilot was conducting a final approach for landing in challenging visual conditions characterized by dusk lighting and glassy water. To maintain lateral position and surface reference, the flight path was flown parallel to a log boom. Upon touchdown, the aircraft experienced a bounce that returned it to the air, prompting the initiation of a go-around maneuver.
During the climb-out phase of the go-around, the aircraft drifted to the left. The left wing struck a piling from the log boom. The impact caused the plane to crash into the water, where it sank.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the loss of control during the go-around. Examination of the site and conditions confirmed that glassy water and low-light dusk conditions significantly reduced depth perception and visual cues for the pilot.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the go-around, which was attributed to the challenging visual conditions of glassy water and dusk.