- Date
- June 8, 1985, 19:39 local (Jun 9, 1985, 02:39 UTC)
- Place
- Truckee, CA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N80030Consolidated Aeronautics Lake LA-4-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850608023629A
- Case key
- 40170
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Contrary to common departure practice, the pilot commenced his takeoff from the lake headed westbound and towards rising terrain. Additionally, he failed to use all the takeoff surface available. The density altitude at donner lake at the time of the accident was approximately 8000 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80030
- Reported as
- Consolidated Aeronautics Lake LA-4-200 (LAKE LA-4-)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1018
- Airframe hours
- 170
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James A. Carney
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 17, 1985 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- Donner Lake, CA
- Airport
- Unknown
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 325 total · 25 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TVL, 29 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.