Scottish Aviation Bulldog 120 accident near So Lake Tahoe, California, April 8, 2007
On April 8, 2007 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Scottish Aviation Bulldog 120, registered N706X, was substantially damaged in an accident near So Lake Tahoe, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from objects and the mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2007 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- So Lake Tahoe, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Scottish Aviation Bulldog 120
- Registration
- N706X · no longer on the register · serial BH 120/355
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his passenger departed for a flight across the Sierra Nevada mountain range to a destination on the California coast. According to the surviving passenger, the pilot intended to follow a highway through the mountains; however, he experienced difficulty in climbing high enough to clear the terrain. He elected to circle, to gain sufficient altitude to pass over a mountain summit. During the circling climb, the pilot flew south into even higher mountainous terrain. The airplane was unable to climb or maintain altitude, and struck a tree with the right wing. The airplane came to rest inverted in a pasture. No evidence was found of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure during examination of the airframe and engine.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 379 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 248 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,400 hours
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TVL So Lake Tahoe CA at 11:30 pm
- Destination: PAO Palo Alto CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from TVL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.