- Date
- August 12, 1989, 15:42 local (22:42 UTC)
- Place
- S Lake Tahoe, CA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N60482Beech C23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890812028969A
- Case key
- 26474
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The aircraft's encounter with a downdraft during takeoff. Contributing factors were related to the high density altitude condition which existed and the aircraft's deteriorated takeoff performance capability.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was familiar with the departure airport and was cognizant that a high density altitude condition existed. During the takeoff, the engine responded in concert with the pilot's expectations, and the aircraft began climbing. After passing over the midfield location a downdraft was encountered and the aircraft's airspeed decreased from 80 to 65 knots. The runway was 8544 feet long, and the pilot, believing the aircraft would likely not outclimb the high terrain south of the field, decided to abort the takeoff. The pilot immediately applied full flaps, lowered the nose and attempted to land on the remaining runway. The aircraft overran the end of the runway by 100 yards and collided with a berm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N60482
- Reported as
- Beech C23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2180
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Woodland Aviation, Inc.
- Departed
- TVL · S Lake Tahoe, CA
- Destination
- 041 · Woodland, CA
- Airport
- TVL · Lake Tahoe, runway 18, 8,544 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 22
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 950 total · 133 in this make and model · 820 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TVL, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.