Taylorcraft BL-65 N29508
24 November 2021 · New Cuyama, California, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 24 November 2021 at about 18:20 local time, a Taylorcraft BL-65 registered N29508 was involved in an accident near New Cuyama, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- New Cuyama, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.8140, -119.9591
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BL-65
- Registration
- N29508
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1940
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lompoc → Mammoth Lakes
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR22LA049
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to intentionally crash the airplane.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that the airplane’s engine lost power during cruise flight over mountainous terrain. He stated that after determining that there were no available emergency landing spots, he decided to bail out. The airplane was destroyed during the impact sequence, and the pilot sustained minor injuries as a result of the parachute jump. Shortly after the accident, the pilot provided a statement regarding the circumstances to the NTSB and FAA, and in a series of correspondences later stated that he had not been able to locate the airplane wreckage. However, evidence gathered by the NTSB and FAA indicated that the pilot had recovered the airplane from the accident site, destroyed it, and then disposed of the remains. The case was referred to the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, and in May 2023, the pilot admitted to the US Attorney’s Office that he both intentionally crashed the airplane, and destroyed the evidence. He plead guilty to a felony charge for obstructing a federal investigation by deliberately destroying the airplane wreckage.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Taylorcraft BL-65 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Apr 2022 | Taylorcraft BL-65 | Counselor, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 14 Jan 2023 | Taylorcraft BL-65 | Wasilla, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Dec 2014 | Taylorcraft BL 65 | Everett, Washington, United States | Dyck David C | No injuries | - |
| 8 Sep 2013 | Taylorcraft BL 65 | Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 2011 | Taylorcraft BL-65 | Easton, Missouri, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Jul 2011 | Taylorcraft BL-65 | Winterville, North Carolina, United States | Brehm Joshua C | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Nov 2021 | Travel Air 4-D | Riverside, California, United States | Zieler Richard | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 2021 | Wheeler C / Wheeler K LANCAIR 235 | Borrego Springs, California, United States | Infantryship USA, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jan 2021 | Extra Flugzeugbau EA 300/L | Santa Monica, California, United States | Marauder Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
| 2 Dec 2021 | Russell W Dyer VORTEX | Lakeport, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 May 2021 | Stearman 4E | Porterville, California, United States | William BEN Scott | No injuries | - |
| 5 Dec 2021 | Beechcraft V35 | Visalia, California, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |