Woman survives plane crash in Sierra

The identities of two people involved in a plane crash near the Alpine County line have been released by the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.

Aircraft pilot Arnon Matityahu, 49, of Los Altos, Calif., was killed in the crash. His passenger, 35-year-old Tamar Bar, also of Los Altos, is recovering from injuries she received in the crash at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno.

According to sheriff's spokesman Lt. Les Lovell, an autopsy is scheduled for today to determine if there was any additional cause for the crash of the 1975 Scottish Aviation Bulldog.

"Weather and/or weight may have been factors in the crash as Ms. Bar stated to investigators that the aircraft had difficulty gaining sufficient altitude to clear the mountain pass prior to impact," Lovell said in a release issued Tuesday afternoon.

The aircraft was found intact and inverted in snow near Round Lake at more than 8,000 feet.

The plane was a small, experimental craft that refueled and took off at Lake Tahoe Airport on Sunday at 4:30 p.m., according to El Dorado County Sheriff's Sgt. Bruce Rosa.

A satellite picked up a signal from the plane's emergency locator transmitter and the sheriff's department was notified around 7 p.m. The satellite makes a rotation every hour and a half.

Search-and-rescue crews from Alpine and El Dorado counties joined in the search as well as three helicopters. Rescuers noticed footprints going away from the crash site and searched for a potential survivor. A chopper with a five-person crew from the Naval Air Station in Fallon located the woman sitting on a rock around 1 p.m. about a mile from the crash. A medic was dropped to give her aid and then the helicopter transported her to Reno, Rosa said.

Searchers located a backpack dragged by the woman from the crash site.

Search crews reached the crash site through Big Meadow trail head, Hawley Grade and by helicopter.

Sophie Tatlow, a 21-year-old search-and-rescue volunteer, was up at 4 a.m. Monday morning and was not stirred awake by the 6 a.m. call-out for a rescue effort. A volunteer since August, Tatlow said Monday represented the biggest rescue effort she participated in.

"I'm going to sleep for a long time," said Tatlow, a snowshoer assigned to a dog team looking for clues.

Airport Manager Rick Jenkins knew little about the plane or its occupants. Experimental planes are common, he said, and include many different types of crafts such as former military machines.

"Typically just because it's called experimental does not (mean it) jeopardizes safety," Jenkins said.

The National Weather Service in Reno reported mild weather conditions Sunday around 4 and 5 p.m. with winds between 10 and 12 mph. The cloud ceiling was reportedly high.

Two separate investigations are underway: One regarding the plane crash and the other determining how the person died.

Rosa said at times the woman appeared to walk circles in the snow as if she were doing doughnuts.

Under the circumstances the ending was a good one, authorities said.

"One out of two in a plane crash ... That's not bad. That's not bad," Rosa said.