N24345Taylorcraft BL-65 · 1940

On April 9, 2022, about 1200 mountain daylight time, a Taylorcraft BL-65, N24345, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Counselor, New Mexico. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured, and the flight instructor sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The airline transport pilot had just purchased the airplane. His spouse reported that, two days before the accident, the pilot and a flight instructor recommended by the previous owner completed an instructional flight in the airplane. They added that the previous owner recommended that the flight instructor to ferry the airplane with the new owner and further referred the new owner to an insurance broker to write a policy. The policy writer reported that she wrote the policy to include both the new owner and the instructor. The policy stated that both the new owner and the flight instructor had to meet specific requirements for whomever was flying the airplane. The policy writer was not aware that the new owner did not have a current medical when she wrote the insurance policy. The new owner cannot be pilot in command (PIC) according to the policy.

The family member further reported that a verbal agreement for the flight instructor to ferry the airplane back to Texas and provide instruction for $250 per day, plus expenses and an airline ticket back to Wyoming. They further reported that that the new owner stated to the family member that the flight instructor was aware of his role in transporting the aircraft back to Texas and providing instruction. The new owner stated to the family member that he hired the flight instructor because he did not have a current medical and could not be pilot in command.

The flight instructor reported that he could not recall any details that led to the accident after they departed Farmington, New Mexico. He added that he was hired to be a passenger and not to be pilot in command, nor did he have any input with the flight planning or flying responsibilities during the flight. He stated that he only instructed the new pilot before the cross-country trip and signed him off with a tail-wheel endorsement. He added that he was not aware that the new owner did not have a current medical and could not be pilot in command.

Witnesses reported that the pilot and instructor departed Afton Municipal Airport Field (AFO) Afton, Wyoming, on April 8 and completed four legs of the return trip to Texas. One of their fuel stops included Rangely Airport (AV0), Rangely, Colorado. At AV0, the accident instructor spoke with a local pilot and stated that the accident airplane had struggled to climb higher than 8,000 ft during their flights that day. The instructor asked the local pilot for advice regarding obstacles to avoid when flying through New Mexico, and the pilot provided the instructor with a suggested route of flight.

The following day, the pilot and instructor departed CEZ and flew to Farmington, New Mexico, where they refueled the airplane before departing on the accident flight.

A witness near the accident site reported that he saw the airplane maneuvering at low altitude toward a ridgeline to the southwest. Shortly after, the airplane made a left turn to the north away from the ridgeline toward a nearby dirt road that ran northwest to southeast, lined with powerlines. The witness then saw the airplane descend and impact terrain short of the road and power lines. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the wings. The witness further reported that the winds were gusting from the southwest, over the ridgeline, and that the engine was running.

The airplane was located about 53 nautical miles (nm) southeast of FMN, about 5 nm south of Counselor, New Mexico, and about 68 nm northwest from their next intended destination of Double Eagle II Airport, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The airplane came to rest inverted on a dirt field surrounded by sage brush at an elevation of about 7,100 ft msl (Figure 1), on a heading of about 360° magnetic. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, lift struts, and fuselage; all major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site.

Figure 1. Accident Site with view of airplane

Examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

The Operator’s Manual for a Lycoming Model O-145-B2 Aviation Engine depicts the full throttle horsepower at different altitudes (Table 1). At an altitude of 7,000 ft and at full throttle, of sea level horsepower is about 78.9%; at a density altitude of 9,500 ft, the sea level horsepower is about 72.5%.

Table 1. Lycoming Full Throttle HP at Altitude Chart (reference only)

FMN has a listed elevation of 5,507 ft and had an Automated Surface Observation System which was augmented. Prior to departure, the ASOS reported the wind was 160° at 6 knots, visibility of 10 statute miles (sm), clear of clouds, a temperature of 19°C, a dewpoint temperature of -11°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.95 inches of mercury (Hg); its calculated density altitude was 7,226 ft. At the time of the accident, the ASOS reported the wind was 310° at 7 knots, visibility of 10 sm, clear of clouds, a temperature of 22°C, a dewpoint temperature of -11°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.90 Hg; its calculated density altitude was 7,726 ft.

The accident site was located at an elevation of about 7,100 ft. At the time of the accident, the reported weather in Counselor, New Mexico, included wind from 158° at 6 knots, a temperature of 20°C, and a dewpoint of -11°C. The calculated density altitude at the accident site was 9,897 ft.

The pilot’s autopsy was performed by a medical investigator from the Office of the Medical Investigator, Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to the pilot’s autopsy report and a supplemental report from the Office of the Medical Investigator, the pilot’s cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries, and his manner of death was accidental.

The Federal Aviation Administration Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed toxicological tests on specimens recovered from the pilot. The pilot’s postmortem toxicological testing did not detect any ethanol or drugs.