Palo Alto Man Killed in South Lake Tahoe Plane Crash

A Palo Alto man died and his wife was injured in a plane accident in Lake Tahoe this morning, authorities said.

A single-engine Mooney M20 crashed in a wooded area less than a mile east the Lake Tahoe Airport in South Lake Tahoe after taking off at 11:15 a.m., Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said.       

Two people were on board.

A man died in the crash, while the man's wife suffered moderate injuries and was taken to a hospital in Reno, El Dorado County sheriff's Lt. Pete Van Arnum told reporters at the scene.

Van Arnum identified the couple as Steven and Karen Lefton.

Karen Lefton had been trapped in the plane when an off-duty nurse came upon the crash while walking her dog in the area, he said.

The nurse provided aid to the injured woman and alerted authorities.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident.