Student Pilot Collides with Mountainous Terrain Near South Lake Tahoe Airport (N3775T)

Departure and Terrain Collision

A student pilot departed South Lake Tahoe Airport from Runway 18 and requested a straight out departure toward rapidly rising mountainous terrain. The recommended departure procedure was to proceed about 1.5 miles south to a golf course and then climb in right turns to 7,500 feet before departing the area. The pilot had been advised of reported turbulence with up and downdrafts in the Tahoe Basin. The aircraft collided with rising terrain at an elevation of about 9,400 feet mean sea level, located approximately 6 miles south of the airport.

Toxicology Findings

After the accident, a plastic straw with cocaine residue was found in the airplane. A toxicology test of the pilot's blood performed by the county medical examiner showed it was positive for benzoylecgonine at a level of 0.223 μg/mL. Additional blood tests conducted at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) revealed 0.181 μg/mL of benzoylecgonine and 0.050 μg/mL of ecgonine methyl ester. Tests of the pilot's urine showed 0.032 μg/mL of cocaine, 6.048 μg/mL of benzoylecgonine, and 0.834 μg/mL of ecgonine methyl ester.