What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Received notification from law enforcement that a downed aircraft was located in the woods approximately six (6) miles southeast of lake tahoe airport (tvl). There were two (2) fatalities. There was no post crash fire. The search was conducted after an alert notification (alnot) was issued for a missing flight. Law enforcement stated the aircraft was located via the emergency locator transmitter (ELT).
Upon arrival at the crash sight, the aircraft was observed inverted facing north, northeast with the empennage missing. The right wing was severed, except for the aileron cables which were still connected to the ailerons, as well as the control yoke. The right wing strut was damaged, with the upper third sheered from the strut. A large impact scar with tree residue was observed on the leading edge of the right wing at the location of the wing strut attach point. There was also impact damage to the trailing edge of the right wing aileron, with tree residue. The wing fuel tank was not ruptured and 100LL fuel was observed in the tank.
The left wing was attached to the aircraft, with bending damage to the tip and the wing strut.
The right side fuselage rivet seam was sheered from the belly to the top of the fuselage with sever crumpling of the left side fuselage.
The empennage was located, lodged approximately twenty (20) feet up in a tree, approximately twenty-five (25) feet northwest of the main wreckage. Tree fragments were found around the area that were identified by us forest service as a species not in the immediate vicinity of the crash site. The closest was a dead tree approximately one hundred (100) yards to the west of the accident site, which appeared to have been struck at the top.
Flight and engine control continuity was confirmed. The fuel shutoff was observed in the "off" position.
Wreckage was recovered and moved to plain parts in pleasant grove, CA.
Assisted NTSB investigator with wreckage inspection and engine teardown at plain parts in pleasant grove, CA Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The recovery personnel stated that approximately 10 gallons of 100LL fuel was recovered from the right wing tank. Fuselage/header tank was ruptured on impact and no fuel was recovered. The NTSB investigator stated that a fuel odor was present on the ground under the fuselage/header tank. Fuel was drained from the gascolator which had discoloration. All fuel was tested for water and no water was present. Carburetor was removed and disassembled. There was no indication of malfunction. All cylinders were confirmed to have compression. All spark plugs appeared satisfactory. Both magnetos were tested. Both magnetos produced sparks on all ditributor leads. No indications of engine malfunction were noted.
As the FAA filed it
RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT A DOWNED AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED IN THE WOODS APPROXIMATELY SIX (6) MILES SOUTHEAST OF LAKE TAHOE AIRPORT (TVL). THERE WERE TWO (2) FATALITIES. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. THE SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED AFTER AN ALERT NOTIFICATION (ALNOT) WAS ISSUED FOR A MISSING FLIGHT. LAW ENFORCEMENT STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED VIA THE EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER (ELT).
UPON ARRIVAL AT THE CRASH SIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED INVERTED FACING NORTH, NORTHEAST WITH THE EMPENNAGE MISSING. THE RIGHT WING WAS SEVERED, EXCEPT FOR THE AILERON CABLES WHICH WERE STILL CONNECTED TO THE AILERONS, AS WELL AS THE CONTROL YOKE. THE RIGHT WING STRUT WAS DAMAGED, WITH THE UPPER THIRD SHEERED FROM THE STRUT. A LARGE IMPACT SCAR WITH TREE RESIDUE WAS OBSERVED ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING AT THE LOCATION OF THE WING STRUT ATTACH POINT. THERE WAS ALSO IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING AILERON, WITH TREE RESIDUE. THE WING FUEL TANK WAS NOT RUPTURED AND 100LL FUEL WAS OBSERVED IN THE TANK.
THE LEFT WING WAS ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT, WITH BENDING DAMAGE TO THE TIP AND THE WING STRUT.
THE RIGHT SIDE FUSELAGE RIVET SEAM WAS SHEERED FROM THE BELLY TO THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE WITH SEVER CRUMPLING OF THE LEFT SIDE FUSELAGE.
THE EMPENNAGE WAS LOCATED, LODGED APPROXIMATELY TWENTY (20) FEET UP IN A TREE, APPROXIMATELY TWENTY-FIVE (25) FEET NORTHWEST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. TREE FRAGMENTS WERE FOUND AROUND THE AREA THAT WERE IDENTIFIED BY US FOREST SERVICE AS A SPECIES NOT IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE CRASH SITE. THE CLOSEST WAS A DEAD TREE APPROXIMATELY ONE HUNDRED (100) YARDS TO THE WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, WHICH APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN STRUCK AT THE TOP.
FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED. THE FUEL SHUTOFF WAS OBSERVED IN THE "OFF" POSITION.
WRECKAGE WAS RECOVERED AND MOVED TO PLAIN PARTS IN PLEASANT GROVE, CA.
ASSISTED NTSB INVESTIGATOR WITH WRECKAGE INSPECTION AND ENGINE TEARDOWN AT PLAIN PARTS IN PLEASANT GROVE, CA TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2024. THE RECOVERY PERSONNEL STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 10 GALLONS OF 100LL FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE RIGHT WING TANK. FUSELAGE/HEADER TANK WAS RUPTURED ON IMPACT AND NO FUEL WAS RECOVERED. THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR STATED THAT A FUEL ODOR WAS PRESENT ON THE GROUND UNDER THE FUSELAGE/HEADER TANK. FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE GASCOLATOR WHICH HAD DISCOLORATION. ALL FUEL WAS TESTED FOR WATER AND NO WATER WAS PRESENT. CARBURETOR WAS REMOVED AND DISASSEMBLED. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF MALFUNCTION. ALL CYLINDERS WERE CONFIRMED TO HAVE COMPRESSION. ALL SPARK PLUGS APPEARED SATISFACTORY. BOTH MAGNETOS WERE TESTED.BOTH MAGNETOS PRODUCED SPARKS ON ALL DITRIBUTOR LEADS. NO INDICATIONS OF ENGINE MALFUNCTION WERE NOTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N37081 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.