Tahoe Plane Crash: 67-Year-Old Man from Palo Alto Killed, Wife Survives

By Eric Chen
LakeTahoe.jpg
 Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe plane crash victim was identified as 67-year-old Steve Lefton from Palo Alto. His wife Karen Lefton sustained moderate injuries and has been lifted by helicopter to a Reno hospital.

Steve Lefton was killed on impact, News10 reported Tuesday. An off duty nurse who was walking her dog in the area provided medical aid to Karen Lefton until emergency crews arrived to remove her from the plane wreckage.

"Several witnesses at the airport saw it take off and start banking and losing altitude," said Lt. Pete Van Arnum, spokesman for El Dorado County Sheriff's Office. "It had difficulty getting lift."

The Mooney M20 plane banked sharply into a wooded area east of the airport, then crashed into large pine trees and flipped over around 11:15 a.m. Monday, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman, the AP reports.

The pilot was said to be an experienced flyer with over 20 years of experience.

Although the cause of the plane crash has yet to be confirmed, a leakage was found from one of the plane’s broken wings at the wreckage site.

Investigators from FAA and NTSB are looking into the cause of the crash.

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