Cessna 152 accident near S. Lake Tahoe, California, April 6, 1997
On April 6, 1997 at about 10:28 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N64845, was destroyed in an accident near S. Lake Tahoe, California (Lake Tahoe airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's collision with mountainous terrain due to his failure to follow published high density altitude departure procedures during climb out, and route selection which exceeded the airplane's maximum climb performance specifications. Also causal was the CFI's inadequate flight supervision and improper approval of his student's preflight preparation and route selection. Factors were: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning, his lack of high density altitude training for the area flown, and the high density altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1997 · about 10:28 pm local time
- Place
- S. Lake Tahoe, California · Lake Tahoe
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N64845 · no longer on the register · serial 15281451
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was on an authorized round-robin cross-country flight with several intermediate landings. He had made 1 landing at the first airport, and 3 landings at the second airport, having a density altitude of about 6,700 feet. He then took off but did not follow the published (recommended) departure procedures for gaining altitude. He did, however, proceed along his flight plan route directly toward the next authorized landing site. The route was over terrain which required the airplane to climb at a rate which exceeded its published maximum performance. After climbing about 4 minutes the airplane collided with trees and impacted the snow covered mountainside about 7,840 feet msl. The CFI reported that he had personally authorized his student to make the flight, but told him to change the route from what the student had initially selected (accident route) to one over lower terrain. The CFI had not flown with the student in 3 months nor had he provided dual cross-country training in nearly 6 months. Also, the CFI had not provided his student with high density altitude flight training in the geographical area flown. Prior to the student's departure, the CFI had not reviewed with him the latest forecast weather conditions or ensured that the pencil line depicting the route of flight was drawn away from the higher elevation mountainous terrain.
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: student
- Flight time: 64 hours in all; 43 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 32 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,980 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 23, 1996; 103 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Fallon Airmotive, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: TVL CA at 10:23 pm
- Destination: FLX Fallon NV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 18, 8,544 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:47 pm from TVL, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N64845 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.