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Atlas / NTSB / BFO90LA040

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event BFO90LA040

1990-04-28 HAVE DE GRACE, Maryland, United States None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N1086L

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

CESSNA 180B

Year of manufacture

1959 · 31 years old at event

Engine

CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)

Seats / Engines

4 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19960819

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A025A1

Registrant of record

LADE BURTON G

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, AND USED EXCESSIVE BRAKING TRYING TO REGAIN CONTROL.

Factual narrative

AFTER LEAVING THE DOCK, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE CHECKED FOR BOAT TRAFFIC IN THE AREA THAT HE WAS GOING TO USE FOR TAKEOFF. HE NOTED THAT MOST OF THE BOATS WERE IN THE 20 FOOT RANGE AND WERE TAVELING IN A NORTH/SOUTH DIRECTION. ABOUT 3 SECONDS INTO HIS TAKEOFF HE OBSERVED A WAKE OF WATER TRAVELING EAST/WEST AND ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE WAKE ABOUT THE TIME IT COMBINED WITH ANOTHER WAKE TRAVELING NORTH/SOUTH WHICH RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE A/C. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_BFO90LA040.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.