| Crash location | 42.574167°N, 88.900000°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Algonac, MI
42.618367°N, 82.531018°W 323.9 miles away |
| Tail number | N1147L |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 23 Aug 2008 |
| Aircraft type | Lake LA-4 |
| Additional details: | None |
The pilot reported that after departure he proceeded to a nearby lake in order to practice water takeoffs and landings. After landing, the water conditions became too rough to safely takeoff. The pilot elected to water taxi to a bay area near an island for smoother conditions. He stated that as he crossed near the southern tip of the island, the airplane struck a submerged object. He estimated the airplane's speed at the time as approximately 6 miles per hour. He steered the airplane toward deeper water; however, after about 3 minutes his feet were under water. He subsequently taxied into water about 3 feet deep and came to rest with the landing gear down. He noted that the airplane normally sat about 18 inches deep in the water. The depth finder did not alert him to the presence of the submerged object prior to the collision.
The amphibious airplane's collision with submerged debris during taxi for takeoff, and the resulting damage to the hull.