Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
South Lake Tahoe Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
South Lake Tahoe, California 96150
Monday, July 22, 2013 10:45 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was departing from a high-altitude airport. After liftoff, about midfield on runway 36, the pilot elected to turn right for a downwind departure. After the right turn, the pilot expressed concern to the passenger that the airplane could not outclimb the rapidly rising terrain. The pilot banked left to avoid a tree near the top of a ridge. The right front seat passenger heard the stall warning horn come on, and the airplane descended into the trees, coming to rest inverted on the forest floor.
Based on atmospheric conditions and an airport elevation of 6,269 feet, the calculated density altitude was 9,044 feet. According to the airplane’s pilot operating handbook, for those conditions, the pilot could expect about a 330- to 490-feet-per-minute (fpm) rate of climb. The best angle-of-climb airspeed was about 82 mph. To clear the ridge ahead (180 feet above the airport elevation, not including trees), which was within 1/4 mile, the airplane would have to maintain a 981-fpm rate of climb, which was not possible given the density altitude at the time of departure.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Facility Directory for the departure airport noted that the airport was surrounded on the east, south, and west by rapidly rising terrain. It further noted that for noise abatement the preferred departure runway was 36 and advised pilots to continue straight out for 1 mile before making turns.
A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s decision to turn into rising terrain that would have required performance in excess of the airplane’s maximum climb rate to clear after taking off at a high density altitude.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/22/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1045 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | South Lake Tahoe |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96150 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 385323N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1195926W |
| Event Location Airport | South Lake Tahoe |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KTVL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 80 |
| Airport Elevation | 6269 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 953 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 80 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KTVL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6269 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.01 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32502 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 10 2014 5:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | eckd |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6709U |
| NTSB Number | WPR13FA335 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MOONEY |
| Aircraft Model | M20C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2441 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2575 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 1 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1473 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LEFTON STEVEN A |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | PALO ALTO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94306 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | LEFTON STEVEN A |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | PALO ALTO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 94306 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KTVL |
| Departure City | South Lake Tahoe |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1045 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KPAO |
| Destination City | Palo Alto |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 2 2014 5:57PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |