- Date
- January 27, 1986, 07:20 local (15:20 UTC)
- Place
- S. Lake Tahoe, CA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N988JMCessna 401
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860127001409A
- Case key
- 40266
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
Acft took off in clear wx but below-freezing temps with heavy frost on acft surfaces. No preflight, run-up or warm-up performed. On initial climb, left eng power loss occurred for undet reason, but probably associated with temp/cold eng operation. Plt turned into dead engine in apparent course reversal, failed to feather propeller and lowered lndg gear during turn. Acft stalled, rolled inverted and crashed into residential area. Engine teardown revealed no mechnical defects. Post-mortem and tox tests revealed no physiological impairment.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N988JM
- Reported as
- Cessna 401
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0305
- Airframe hours
- 5,860
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-E, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles R. Maddox
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 1985
- Departed
- TVL · S. Lake Tahoe, CA
- Destination
- SGU · St. George, UT
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,400 total · 35 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 21 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Observed at
- TVL, 2 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.