Piper PA-28-181 accident near So. Lake Tahoe, California, July 3, 1994
On July 3, 1994 at about 11:03 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N4321N, was destroyed in an accident near So. Lake Tahoe, California (Lake Tahoe airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during initial climb under high-density altitude weather conditions and a resultant inadvertent stall/spin. Factors which contributed to the accident were the pilot's overconfidence in his personal ability, and his lack of experience flying the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 1994 · about 11:03 pm local time
- Place
- So. Lake Tahoe, California · Lake Tahoe · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N4321N · no longer on the register · serial 28-8390080
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT BEGAN HIS TAKEOFF FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE 8,544-FOOT- LONG RUNWAY. AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE BECOME AIRBORNE AFTER ROLLING BETWEEN 2,500 AND 3,000 FEET. WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRPLANE PITCHED UP AND DOWN SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS FLYING SLOWLY AS IT CLIMBED BETWEEN 100 AND 200 FEET AGL. WHILE STILL OVER THE RUNWAY AND OUT OF GROUND EFFECT, THE AIRPLANE COMMENCED A STEEP (45 TO 90 DEGREE) LEFT BANK AND CRASHED INTO A FIELD 900 FEET EAST OF THE RUNWAY. WRECKAGE AND GROUND IMPACT SIGNATURES WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE AIRPLANE HAVING COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN WHILE IN AN 80-DEGREE LEFT BANK. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE. DURING THE PRECEDING 20-MONTH-LONG PERIOD SINCE THE PILOT RECEIVED A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE, HE HAD FLOWN AIRPLANES FOR 6 HOURS. HIS TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN THE PIPER AIRPLANE WAS 3.1 HOURS OF WHICH 1.4 HOURS HAD BEEN A CHECKOUT FLIGHT GIVEN BY A CFI. THE CFI REPORTED HE HAD NOT CHECKED OUT THE PILOT AT HIGH-DENSITY ALTITUDE AIRPORTS. THE CALCULATED DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 8,570 FEET.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 102 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 26 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,424 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 25, 1994; 74 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Inbound Aviation
The flight
- Destination: RHV San Jose CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 18, 8,544 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:03 pm from TVL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.