NTSB: Pilot's ‘improper decision' caused Mount Equinox crash
Investigators wrote that the pilot altered his course, attempted to fly low and avoid clouds, then climb above them because of a perceived, rapid change in weather. As the Piper PA-28 entered clouds, icing occurred which caused it to stall, spin and crash.
This pilot did not hold an instrument rating, meaning he was not qualified to fly using only instruments in poor low-visibility conditions. NTSB investigators also detail that he 'was aware that they were near the VFR [visual flight rules], but he elected to continue the flight.'
The plane crashed into four feet of snow at an elevation of over 3,000 feet February 26. Manchester First Assistant Chief Jamie Greene suggested that the pilot and two passengers were 'cushioned' by snow. All of them suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
NTSB determined the probably cause was 'The pilot's improper decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Eight who died when boat capsized on Lake Tahoe were not wearing life vests, investigators say
None of the eight people killed when a boat capsized during a sudden and fierce storm last month on Lake Tahoe in California were wearing life vests, federal investigators said in an initial report released Wednesday. Four members of a family who were celebrating a birthday were among those who died when the 28-foot gold Chris-Craft vessel was inundated and flipped over amid 10-foot waves June 21 on the lake's western edge. Weather was mostly calm when the party of 10 left the marina around noon, but within about two hours winds were strong enough to create whitecaps, according to the preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board. 3 The National Transportation Safety Board found that none of the eight people who died were wearing life jackets. USCG By 2:30 p.m., as the boat was returning to shore, it began to hail and the vessel ended up sideways to the growing waves. 'The boat took on water and some of the passengers attempted to bail the water out of the boat,' the report states. 'At one point, a particularly large wave overtook the boat.' Two people were rescued immediately after it flipped over. One of the survivors was found clinging to a life vest and the other was wearing one, according to the report. Six people were found dead that afternoon and evening and two more bodies were discovered the next day. 3 The boat capsized on June 21, 2025 on the lake's western edge. USCG None of the people found dead had been wearing life vests, the report said. Four life vests and one life preserver ring from the boat were recovered from the accident site. Hikers on shore called 911 after witnessing the vessel capsize. No distress calls were made from the boat, the report said. Toxicology tests for alcohol and other drugs for the deceased were conducted, and results are pending, officials said. Snow was reported on the shore and a nearby weather station recorded a top wind gust of 39 mph at around the time of the accident shortly after 3 p.m. By 4 p.m., the weather began to clear, and the skies were cloudless again shortly before 5:30 p.m., the report said. 3 The NTSB said weather conditions changed for the worse after the party of 10 was already on the lake. AP The intensity of the thunderstorm surprised even forecasters, who had predicted rain but nothing like the squall that lashed the southern part of the lake. Drowning and other accidental deaths occur each year on the lake, but boating accidents with numerous fatalities are rare, South Lake Tahoe Police Lt. Scott Crivelli said last month. There are an average of six deaths on the lake each summer, though there were a record 15 fatalities in 2021, he said.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Life jackets made critical difference in Tahoe tragedy, report shows. None of the 8 killed wore one
None of the eight people killed in a horrific boating accident in Lake Tahoe in June were wearing life jackets, according to a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday. The report indicates that the decision on whether to don a life jacket when a pleasant day devolved into a freak storm made a critical difference in the passengers' fate. The tragedy unfolded on June 21 when a 28-foot-long boat carrying 10 people capsized on the California lake amid 8-foot waves, snow and hail. The water temperature was a chilling 54 degrees. Officials warn that water below 70 degrees is cold enough to cause hypothermia if a person is exposed to the conditions for a long enough period of time. Six people were found dead in the water without life jackets that afternoon, while two bodies were discovered on the lake floor near the accident site the following day. Of the two people who survived, one was found wearing a life jacket and the other was found clinging to a life jacket. The drowning victims were DoorDash executive Joshua Pickles and his parents, Terry Pickles and Paula Bozinovich, his uncle Peter Bayes and four of their friends. The two survivors were Amy Friduss and her mother, Julie Lindsay. Lindsay's husband and Friduss' father, Stephen Lindsay, also died in the accident. According to the report, one of the survivors put on a life jacket and began distributing them to other passengers after the stormy weather sent a large wave over the boat. 'No one else immediately donned their PFD [personal flotation device],' the report states. 'Shortly after, the boat rolled over to starboard, and the passengers entered the water. The survivor recalled that it started snowing after the boat rolled over while the people were in the water.' A salvage company later recovered the boat, which was examined by investigators from the NTSB and U.S. Coast Guard. 'Investigators did not find any evidence of a hull leak, grounding, or contact with an object,' the report states. 'On the vessel, investigators found one PFD still in its plastic packaging with tags on it, one infant life vest still in its packaging, an unzipped life vest stowage bag, and five inflatable PFDs in stowage compartments.' The privately owned Chris-Craft boat called Over the Moon set out for a day of recreating on Lake Tahoe on the morning of June 21. It was built in 2023 and valued at $393,000, according to the report. The weather was pleasant with clear skies, light winds and an air temperature in the 50s. The National Weather Service had not issued any marine warnings or small-craft advisories for the Lake Tahoe area that day; however, the area forecast indicated a slight chance of thunderstorms. Four adults including the two registered boat owners departed at 10:40 a.m. from the boat ramp, six additional passengers boarded at a marina, and the whole crew headed to Emerald Bay around noon, according to the report. This tucked-away cove is one of the most iconic areas of the lake, known for its turquoise waters, steep granite cliffs and dense pine forests. The boat anchored there for around 90 minutes before the weather suddenly shifted around 2 p.m. and the driver decided to head back to the marina. By then, the wind, rain and waves had picked up, so the driver returned to the bay. Ten minutes later, he made a second attempt to travel back to the marina. One of the survivors recalled the boat being pelted by marble-sized hail while waves increased to 8 to 10 feet, breaking over the bow of the boat, according to the report. Winds were gusting up to 34 knots, blowing snow and sleet at the vessel. A hiker called 911 around 3 p.m. after witnessing the boat capsize by the shores of D.L. Bliss State Park, in southwest Lake Tahoe. Another another hiker and a California State Parks lifeguard helped pull the survivors from the water and they were transported to a hospital and treated for hypothermia. In California, all children younger than 13 are legally required to wear a life jacket while on a boat. Life jackets are optional for adults, but every boat must carry enough personal flotation devices for every passenger. By 5:30 that evening, skies were once again blue and the waters were calm, but it was too late to save the remaining eight passengers.
4 days ago
2 survivors of deadly Lake Tahoe boat capsizing found wearing or clinging to life vest: NTSB
When a boat capsized on Lake Tahoe in California last month amid large waves, killing eight people on board including a DoorDash executive, the only two survivors were found wearing or clinging to a life vest, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The eight people killed in the incident were not wearing life vests, according to a preliminary report on the accident released by the NTSB on Wednesday. The report details the worsening conditions on the lake, including reports of 8- to 10-foot waves, high winds and hail, that resulted in the 28-foot Chris-Craft vessel capsizing on June 21 in what the victims' family members said was "meant to be a joyful time on the lake." "The National Weather Service had issued no marine warnings or small craft advisories for the Lake Tahoe area for the day, although the local forecast indicated a slight chance of thunderstorms," the report stated. The outing began at approximately noon under clear skies, though about two hours after the boat went out to Emerald Bay on the western side of Lake Tahoe, the operator decided to return to the marina when clouds increased, according to the report. "However, after getting underway, the winds, rain, and waves increased, and he decided to return to Emerald Bay," the report stated. The operator tried to return to the marina again about 10 minutes later. Once away from Emerald Bay, a survivor told investigators that "2- to 3-foot waves splashed into the boat with the pouring rain," the report stated. The winds started to increase, marble-sized hail began collecting in the boat and the waves swelled to 8 to 10 feet, according to the report. Water started to accumulate on the boat deck and the operator turned on the bilge pumps, the NTSB said. It started to snow in the area, and winds around that time were recorded at 14 knots, with a peak wind of 34 knots (about 40 mph), according to the report. When the vessel was about 50 to 100 yards offshore, the engine stopped and the boat "ended up sideways" to the waves, the report said. Some of the passengers tried to bail the water out, as the boat became partially submerged, according to the report. One of the passengers put on a life vest and distributed them to everyone else in the boat, though no one else immediately put them on, according to the report. "Shortly after, the boat rolled over to starboard, and the passengers entered the water," the report stated. "The survivor recalled that it started snowing after the boat rolled over while the people were in the water." No distress calls were made from the boat, according to the report. At approximately 3 p.m., a group of hikers saw the boat capsize "after a large wave washed over it," and one of the hikers called 911, the report stated. Another hiker and a California State Parks lifeguard helped recover the two survivors from the water, one of whom was wearing a life vest while the other was clinging to a life vest, according to the report. They were transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. Six people, including the operator, were recovered and pronounced dead on the scene. The remaining two passengers were recovered from the lake bottom the following day, the report said. The investigation into the accident remains ongoing, the NTSB said. Among those killed in the incident was Josh Pickles, who spent nearly seven years working as the global head of strategic sourcing and procurement within the finance team at DoorDash. Pickles' parents, Terry Pickles and Paula Bozinovich, and uncle, Peter Bayes, were also killed in the incident, according to his wife, Jordan Sugar-Carlsgaard. "No words can express the pain and anguish we feel knowing their lives were lost during what was meant to be a joyful time on the lake. Our hearts go out to those who tragically lost their lives and the two survivors of this unexpected and deadly storm on Lake Tahoe," Sugar-Carlsgaard said in a statement following the incident.
