California IN BRIEF : SOUTH LAKE TAHOE : FAA Had Penalized Pilot Who Crashed

Records show that the pilot of a small plane that plunged into Lake Tahoe was twice cited for flying violations by the Federal Aviation Administration. Aircraft mechanic Eric Svelmoe, 33, of San Diego, was taking his family on an aerial sightseeing tour when the rented Piper Aero lost power, officials said. Svelmoe, his wife, Carolyn, and their three daughters, ages 7, 5 and 3, escaped serious injury when the single-engine plane plunged into the water about 150 yards from shore and sank, El Dorado County Sheriff’s deputies said.