| Crash location | 31.364722°N, 85.309444°W |
| Nearest city | Headland, AL
31.351284°N, 85.342156°W 2.1 miles away |
| Tail number | N3121P |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 30 Apr 2002 |
| Aircraft type | Lake LA-4-200 |
| Additional details: | None |
On April 30, 2002, about 1345 central daylight time, a Lake LA-4-200, N3121P, registered to an individual, impacted the ground during a forced landing near the Headland Municipal Airport, Headland, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. No flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. The commercial-rated pilot and one passenger reported no injuries. The flight had departed from the same airport at 1340.
According to the pilot, after performing a pre-flight inspection he started the airplane's engine and practiced taxi procedures for about 15 minutes before taking off on runway 17. After clearing the runway the pilot retracted the landing gear, and noted that the airplane "did not continue to climb." He elected to turn away from a populated area, and head back towards the airport. He stated that the airplane "did not appear to be developing adequate power and was descending." The pilot elected to keep the landing gear up and land in a soft plowed field, about 500 yards southeast of the airport. Upon touchdown the airplane's left float separated, and the left wing impacted with the ground.
After the accident a test run was performed on the engine from N3121P, and according to the mechanic's report, dated September 30, 2002, the engine was run to 2,600 rpm, and no discrepancies were found.
a loss of engine power for undetermined reason resulting in damage to the airplane during the subsequent forced landing.