WPR26FA130

On March 22, 2026, at 1716 Pacific daylight time, a Beech A36, N2882W, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Olympic Valley, California. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal cross-country flight. According to the ADS-B data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airplane departed Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), Monterey, California, at 1411 and was destined for the Truckee-Tahoe Airport (TRK), Truckee, California. Recorded communication indicated that when the airplane was about 12 miles southwest of the accident site, the pilot contacted the TRK air traffic control tower local controller (LC) that he was inbound for landing. The pilot subsequently reported a turbocharger problem, and he didn’t think he would make it to the airport. Recorded ADS-B data ended at an altitude of about 7,382 ft, about 13 miles southwest of TRK and no further radio transmissions were heard from the pilot. An Apple iPhone crash detection alert was received by local law enforcement in the accident area. The accident site was subsequently located by a California Highway Patrol helicopter crew, in the Granite Chief Wilderness area along the shoreline of a lake about 1-1/2 miles northeast of the last recorded ADS-B data point. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane came to rest in a nose down attitude partially submerged near the shore in a subalpine lake in an area known as the Five Lakes at an altitude of 7,500 ft mean sea level (msl) on a magnetic heading of 225°. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was the top of a pine tree about 150 ft southwest of the main wreckage. About 75 ft from the FIPC was the right wing, which had struck a tree near the base and separated from the airplane. There was a postcrash fire centralized at the right wing and tree. The engine, including the propeller assembly, separated from the airplane and was mostly submerged in the lake. All major structural components of the airplane were located at the accident site. The airplane was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.