Piper PA-23-250 accident near Lake Tahoe, California, August 14, 1989
On August 14, 1989 at about 6:12 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N4838P, was destroyed in an accident near Lake Tahoe, California (Lake Tahoe airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
DISABLEMENT OF THE STABILATOR FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS: INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1989 · about 6:12 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Tahoe, California · Lake Tahoe
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N4838P · no longer on the register · serial 27-408
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
APPROACHING THE ARPT, THE PLT RECEIVED LDG INSTRUCTIONS. SECONDS LATER, HIS TRANSMISSIONS WERE ABRUPTLY TERMINATED. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT ABRUPTLY NOSE OVER & DESCEND INTO WATER AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. IT FRAGMENTED UPON IMPACT & IMMEDIATELY SANK. THE ACFT HAD RECENTLY UNDERGONE MAINTENANCE INVOLVING THE REMOVAL & INSTALLATION OF ITS WINGS, & INSTALLATION OF AN AUTOPILOT & ELECTRIC TRIM. FOLLOWING THIS WORK, THE ACFT WAS FLIGHT TESTED. DURING THE TEST, THE PLT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF CONTROL & THE ACFT PITCHED DOWN IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO THAT DESCRIBED BY WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. EXAM OF THE UPPER STABILATOR PULLEY ASSEMBLY REVEALED THAT ITS RESPECTIVE CONTROL CABLE HAD BEEN WORKING AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE PULLEY. THE PULLEY WAS FRACTURED, & THE CABLE HAD BECOME WEDGED IN THE PULLEY, WHICH (IN TURN) HAD BECOME WEDGED AGAINST THE SIDE OF ITS SUPPORT BRACKET. THIS ACTION RESTRICTED STABILATOR MOVEMENT.
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: 2,091 hours in all; 680 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,554 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 2, 1989; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,800 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1D5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S21 Sunriver OR at 4:15 pm
- Destination: TVL Lake Tahoe CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:10 pm from TVL, 21 miles away
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.