Piper PA-28-140 accident near Tahoe City, California, December 8, 1982
On December 8, 1982 at about 1:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N5468T, was destroyed in an accident near Tahoe City, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 1982 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Tahoe City, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N5468T · no longer on the register · serial 28-7225414
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE OWNER, A STUDENT PLT, & AN ATP PLT DEPARTED OLYMPIA, WA AT APRX 1111 PST ON A FLT TO THE LAKE TAHOE/RENO AREA. WHEN THE ACFT DID NOT ARRIVE, A SEARCH WAS MADE UNTIL 12/22/82. ON 8/28/83, THE ACFT WAS FOUND WHERE IT CRASHED ON RISING TERRAIN (50 DEG SLOPE) AT AN ELEVATION OF APRX 7600 FT (ABOUT 600 FT BLO THE TOP OF THE MTN). IT IMPACTED IN A CLEARING SURROUNDED BY PINE TREES & CAME TO REST INVERTED WITH THE LEFT WING PARTIALLY SEPARATED, REARWARD. A MEMBER OF THE SEARCH TEAM REMEMBERED SNOW, 13 TO 25 FT DEEP, IN THAT AREA & RECALLED THE "THE WX WAS MARGINAL THAT WHOLE WEEK." AN NTSB WX SUMMARY REPORTED A PROBABLE OVERCAST WITH BASES AT APRX 8000 FT MSL; VIS 3+ BLO THE CLDS, BUT IN THE CLDS, ZERO VIS & MOD ICG FROM 5000 TO 13000 FT MSL; BLO 10000 FT MSL, MOD TURBC & UP/DOWNDRAFTS. THE ENG HAD EXTENSIVE IMPACT DMG, BUT LITTLE OR NO DMG WAS FOUND ON THE PROP SPINNER OR LEADING EDGE OF THE PROP BLADES. THE THROTTLE, MIXTURE & CARB HEATWERE FOUND FULL OPEN, RICH & ON, RESPECTIVELY. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE INVERTED FUEL TANKS. FLAP SYS FOUND IN UP PSN.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,506 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OLM Olympia WA at 11:11 am
- Destination: TVL Lake Tahoe CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.