History of Flight
On July 22, 2013, about 1045 Pacific daylight time, a Mooney M20C airplane, N6709U, sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees during takeoff initial climb from South Lake Tahoe Airport (TVL), South Lake Tahoe, California. The airplane was operated by the pilot as a personal cross-country flight under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot received fatal injuries, and the sole passenger received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The flight was departing for Palo Alto, California. South Lake Tahoe Airport is a non-tower controlled airport. Witnesses heard the pilot announce his intention to depart via runway 36 with a right downwind departure on UNICOM. The airport has rapidly rising terrain on the east side (right side) of runway 36.
Multiple witnesses saw the airplane lift off from runway 36 about midfield and commence an immediate right climbing turn to the east, toward the rising terrain. The airplane maintained a nose-high attitude, and as it crested the ridgeline, it turned left and descended below the ridge out of sight. Wreckage was located about 1 mile east of the airport in a heavily wooded area.
The sole passenger, the pilot's wife, stated that the preflight and departure seemed normal. After the right turn, her husband became concerned about the airplane's ability to out-climb the terrain. Nearing the top of the ridge, he said he did not think they were going to make it. He banked left to avoid a tree, and the airplane descended into the trees while in the left turn. She heard the stall warning horn. She reported the engine sounded normal during the climb.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 66, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. He had a third-class medical certificate issued July 15, 2011, with a limitation for corrective lenses. According to personal flight records, he had about 2,820 hours of flight experience. He completed a biennial flight review on February 19, 2012.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a 1963 Mooney M20C single-engine retractable gear aircraft with a Lycoming O-360 series engine and controllable pitch propeller. Logbook examination revealed no mechanical anomalies. An annual inspection was completed on September 1, 2012. At that time, the airframe had 1,473 hours total time, with 395 hours since major overhaul.
Meteorological Information
At 1053 PDT, the automated surface observing system reported wind 020 at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, temperature 26°C, dew point 9°C, and altimeter 30.24 inHg. Calculated density altitude was 9,044 feet. Prior to the flight, the pilot received an abbreviated weather briefing with no significant weather reported along the route.
Communications
A recording of UNICOM frequency 122.95 MHz captured the pilot stating his departure plans. No transmissions were heard that would require an expedited right turn after takeoff.
Wreckage and Impact
Wreckage was examined on July 23. The airplane descended through dense, tall trees in a shallow then increasingly steeper arc, coming to rest inverted on the forest floor. The wreckage path was about 150 yards long, heading 0 to 020 degrees magnetic. The landing gear was retracted. Both wings and stabilator showed impact damage. The top of the cabin was crushed inward, most on the left side. The propeller appeared high-pitch and undamaged. In the cockpit, the propeller control was full forward, and the throttle was pulled out (power off). No mechanical anomalies were found.
Additional Information
Density altitude at takeoff was 9,044 feet. The airport elevation was 6,269 feet. The pilot's operating handbook indicated that at this density altitude and maximum gross weight, a climb rate of about 330 to 490 feet per minute was expected. The ridge ahead was within 1,320 feet horizontally and about 180 feet above the airport elevation, not including trees. At 82 mph, the airplane had about 11 seconds to clear the terrain, requiring a climb rate of about 981 feet per minute. The flaps-up, gear-up stall speed was 67 mph; stall speed increases with bank angle. The FAA Airport Facility Directory notes that TVL is surrounded by rapidly rising terrain on the east, south, and west, and recommends continuing straight out for 1 mile before turning. A seven-second YouTube video showed the accident airplane at the top of the ridge in a nose-high left turn before descending out of sight.