Pilot dies in S. Tahoe plane crash; 1 person survives
One person died, one survived after this plane crashed July 22 near South Lake Tahoe. Photo/Kathryn Reed
Updated 4:25pm:
By Kathryn Reed
The 67-year-old pilot of a single-engine plane crashed moments after taking off Monday from Lake Tahoe Airport.
Steven Lefton’s wife, Karen Lefton, was the lone passenger of the 1963 Mooney. She was conscious when Calstar airlifted her from the meadow near Golden Bear to Renown Medical Center in Reno. She is expected to recover from her injuries.
The Palo Alto couple arrived at the South Lake Tahoe airport on July 18. They were taking off about 11:15am July 22 when the plane banked to the right, lost altitude and crashed in a wooded area about three-quarters of a mile to the east of the airport.
“It’s a fairly powerful plane, but on a hot day like this it’s fairly easy to lose density altitude and have problems,” El Dorado County sheriff’s Lt. Pete Van Arnum told Lake Tahoe News.
Another plane in the area saw the four-seater flying low and heard the crash. Then the jet picked up the emergency beacon signal of the downed plane. From there Calstar was able to locate the crash site from the air.
The plane crashed into trees and flipped. It was resting upside down in a crumpled heap.
Beth Frisby, a flight nurse with Calstar, was the first person on the scene because she was on a walk in the area. She called her husband, EDSO Deputy Damian Frisby, who was able to track her location via GPS on the phones.
The plane was still running when Frisby came upon the crash site.
She was assessing the occupants of the plane as crews arrived.
“A lot of fuel was leaking, so we were concerned when we got here,” Van Arnum said.
He said it was lucky the plane did not explode or cause much of a fire.
Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration arrived within hours from Reno and National Transportation Safety board are expected Tuesday from Seattle. Guards will be onsite until investigators are done and the plane can be hauled away.
Strange that a photo is published so soon. Not a normal procedure prior to FAA arrival.
I guess there is really nothing to add to the Article, but I typed it anyway.
This couple; just from reading the story seemed to have it all?
Life is so fragile and unpredictable.
Sad, RIP
Hot, mid day take offs are very dangerous at this elevation.
Sad
Life may be unpredictable, but density altitude isn’t. It’s not as if the FBO doesn’t do everything they can to remind the pilots of the hazards.
I hate to say it ,But how many more planes are going to crash at the air show in August? Not good ,
How many more cars are going to crash before the end of my response to Kathy. People still drive though.
My condolences to the pilot’s family. A terrible accident.
Great job by the Frisbys and 1st responders. Best wishes to his wife for recovery.
How many more people will drive by the abandoned truck on Pioneer Trl with a Tahoe Marathon Sign in its flatbed before it’s towed away for trespassing?
Control Towers aren’t really there to protect pilots from themselves, but in the past, when pilots were clearly behind the curve fighting a density altitude problem, the Tower would see his takeoff and strongly recommend that he continue straight and dump it on the golf course. If that right bank meant that he was trying to return to the runway, it was probably the worst thing he could have done.
Still, to give credit where it’s due, his wife survived and the engine was still running – so he did something right. Although the lack of a fire had to be just pure dumb luck.
Hey Bob – they’re just getting a head start on staging for next year’s marathon.
I suppose I should have mentioned that the South Lake Tahoe Airport control tower is no longer staffed.
The terminal, on the other hand, seems more than adequately staffed with the South Lake Tahoe city government. As far as I know, no one there provides assistance to pilots.
The airport has the very best and most progressive FBO I have ever been to. They educate pilots on density altitude, winds, terrain avoidance, and local conditions. They do everything possible to assist pilots by explaining in detail the conditions and making suggestions whenever possible.
I was in there just yesterday, and they were encouraging departing aircraft to stay on the ground until the temperatures dropped because the density altitude had exceeded 10,000 feet.
Do you believe in Angels?? How did Karen Lefton survive this terrible crash?
I only live about 3 miles away. I was sitting on my deck. I never heard anything until the emergency responders came down Pioneer Trail. What a terrible accident. How lucky that the plane did not hit any homes, or start a fire.
My condolences to the family and friends for their loss.
Mooneys have very strong roll cages around the cabin. If you look closely at the photo, you’ll see that while the tail, nose and skin of the plane are crumpled, the cabin area still maintains it’s basic shape. Most likely that is what saved Karen Lefton.
This is a very sad accident. My sympathies go out to Karen and their family and friends.