20200707008559A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · South Lake Taho, CA · July 7, 2020

Date: July 7, 2020 · 15:23 local
Place: South Lake Taho, CA
Airport: Lake Tahoe Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6328D
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR20LA212
Reported as: Cessna 172N
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificates: Private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours: 75 total55 in the last 90 days

N6328DRegistration cancelled Jul 6, 2021 · Cessna 172NS/N 17272718 · Built 1979 Airframe modelCessna 172N Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft departed from fallon airport (kflx) to south lake Tahoe (ktvl) for an aerial sightseeing tour. Aircraft landed at ktvl for unknown reasons and for unknown period of time. An eye witness stated the aircraft departed ktvl at approximately 1520 local time. During the take-off climb out, approximately 3 miles south-southwest of ktvl, the aircrafts left wing clipped a treetop severing the outboard section of the left wing causing the aircraft to roll and impact the ground, inverted, and coming to rest on a previously fallen tree on the forest floor. The pilot was fatally injured, and his passenger sustained serious injuries. All parts of the aircraft were found at the accident site, with the left outboard wing section approximately 150 yards west of the main wreckage under the tree it struck. Aircraft was substantially damaged. Pax passed a few days after the accident in the hospital.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM FALLON AIRPORT (KFLX) TO SOUTH LAKE TAHOE (KTVL) FOR AN AERIAL SIGHTSEEING TOUR. AIRCRAFT LANDED AT KTVL FOR UNKNOWN REASONS AND FOR UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME. AN EYE WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KTVL AT APPROXIMATELY 1520 LOCAL TIME. DURING THE TAKE-OFF CLIMB OUT, APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF KTVL, THE AIRCRAFTS LEFT WING CLIPPED A TREETOP SEVERING THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE LEFT WING CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL AND IMPACT THE GROUND, INVERTED, AND COMING TO REST ON A PREVIOUSLY FALLEN TREE ON THE FOREST FLOOR. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED, AND HIS PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. ALL PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE FOUND AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, WITH THE LEFT OUTBOARD WING SECTION APPROXIMATELY 150 YARDS WEST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE UNDER THE TREE IT STRUCK. AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. PAX PASSED A FEW DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT IN THE HOSPITAL.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR20LA212Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportLake Tahoe, CAThe partial loss of engine power due to carbon buildup in the No. 4 cylinder resulting from the pilot’s inadequate mixture-leaning procedures.Jul 7, 2020 · Destroyed

Other reports on N6328D · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19870409011969AGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Big Pine Key, FLThe engine lost power for undetermined cause. The pilot safely landed the aircraft on a road. Hit signs during taxiApr 9, 1987 · Substantial damage