One Dead After Small Plane Crashes Near Lake Tahoe

A small plane crashed around Lake Tahoe on Sunday, killing one person on board, local authorities say.

The plane, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, was heading to Truckee Tahoe Airport. 

It went down southwest of Olympic Valley, the home of Palisades Tahoe ski resort. At approximately the same time the aircraft disappeared from radar, the Sheriff’s Office’s dispatch center received an Apple crash alert.

The Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue Team said its team was deployed to the Five Lakes area in the afternoon following reports of a white plane experiencing engine trouble.

Some responders were flown to the crash site, while more than 20 travelled on foot, with skis on their backs, TNSAR said. 

The Sheriff’s Office said one person was found dead inside the plane. They are believed to be the lone occupant.

TNSAR’s PistenBully 100 snowcat also travelled up Palisades Tahoe’s KT access road, reaching the Five Lakes area for the first time and helping with the transport of the pilot. TNSAR called the effort “remarkable.”

TNSAR thanked Palisades Tahoe for the support.

“We are deeply appreciative of the strong collaboration that made this response possible,” the organization said in a news release.

“Our hearts are with the pilot’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” TNSAR added. “The aviation community here in Truckee is a close-knit one, and this loss is felt deeply by so many across our town.”

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the crash, the Sheriff’s Office said, noting, “Our hearts are with the family, friends, and loved ones impacted by this tragic loss.”

Following the crash, the Tahoe National Forest issued a closure of the Five Lakes area. Officials said the closure was because of unknown hazards from the wreckage and to facilitate the investigation, 2 News Nevada reported.

The closure lasts through April 7, but could end sooner if conditions improve.