History of Flight
On September 8, 2015, about 2048 eastern daylight time, 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) in Bedminster, New Jersey. The private pilot was fatally injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot was reported missing on 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 coworkers, he departed his office at 1700 to recover his boat from a repair shop and return it to SMQ, where it shared hangar space with the accident airplane. Surveillance video showed the pilot arriving at SMQ at 2022, towing the airplane from its hangar, parking the boat, and boarding the airplane. He taxied away at 2039 and departed runway 30 at 2048. Video captured a bright light traveling opposite the runway direction about 30 seconds after takeoff, descending approximately parallel to the runway into wooded terrain.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and sea; he did not possess an instrument rating. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on September 8, 2015, and he reported 900 total hours of flight experience. A recovered logbook began with 625 total hours carried forward from a previous logbook; entries appeared to reflect flight experience in the accident airplane, but total experience could not be reconciled due to incomplete entries.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, single-engine, high-wing, retractable-gear, amphibious airplane was manufactured in 1984 and equipped with a Lycoming 250-horsepower engine. The most recent annual inspection was completed on April 27, 2015, at 1,612 total aircraft hours; the tachometer indicated 1,633 hours at the accident site.
The fuel system included a main fuselage tank (40 gallons useable), two wing tanks (17 gallons each), and two wing-mounted auxiliary tanks (7 gallons each). Fuel was supplied to the engine from the main tank only. Auxiliary fuel pumps moved fuel to the main tank; wing tank fuel was gravity-fed. The normal procedures checklist for the Supplemental Type Certificate directed checking each tank for quantity and contamination. According to airport and maintenance personnel, the pilot did not service the auxiliary tanks when he serviced the airplane.
Meteorological Information
The 2053 weather observation at SMQ reported clear skies, calm winds, 10 statute miles visibility, temperature 23°C, dew point 18°C, and altimeter 29.96 inches of mercury. At accident time, the moon was below the horizon with 19 percent of the visible disk illuminated.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage came to rest upright on flat wooded terrain. The wreckage path was 93 feet long, oriented about 090 degrees magnetic. Initial impact was in trees about 50 feet above ground. The left and right wing auxiliary tanks were found between the first tree strike and the main wreckage. The cabin roof was separated; the aft cabin, wing box, empennage, and tail section were collapsed in a U shape. The left and right wing tanks were breached and contained no residual fuel; no fuel blighting of vegetation was observed. Both auxiliary tanks were intact and contained no fuel. The engine remained in the nacelle, which appeared undamaged. The three-bladed propeller displayed twisting, bending, and gouging consistent with impact. Flight control continuity was confirmed. The main fuel tank was intact and contained no fuel.
Engine Examination
The engine was examined and test-run at the manufacturer's facility. It started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption at all power settings.
Additional Information
A portable Garmin GPS unit was recovered but yielded no flight history data due to corroded batteries. A Shadin fuel flow indicator displayed 44.7 gallons used and 21.0 gallons remaining (total approximately 66 gallons), but the values could not be attributed to a specific flight. Based on fuel receipts and a commercial flight-following website, the airplane completed a round trip from SMQ to Yeager Airport (CRW) on August 16, 2015, consuming fuel at about 15 gallons per hour. No fuel was purchased after that flight. The pilot's logbook recorded the round trip as a single entry of 7.45 hours.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy determined the cause of death as blunt traumatic injuries. Toxicological testing was negative for tested substances.