Saturday, April 09, 2022

Taylorcraft BL-65, N24345: Fatal accident occurred April 09, 2022 in Counselor, New Mexico

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Albuquerque, New Mexico


Location: Counselor, New Mexico
Accident Number: WPR22FA148
Date and Time: April 9, 2022, 12:00 Local
Registration: N24345
Aircraft: Taylorcraft BL-65 
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Ferry

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

According to multiple witnesses, the owner travelled to Afton, Wyoming to fly the accident airplane home with a flight instructor. They departed Afton, Wyoming on April 8, 2022, about 0930 central standard time for the multiday, cross-country flight, with an intended destination of Kerrville, Texas.  The accident flight occurred on an intermediate leg of the cross-country flight about 45 minutes after the pilot departed Four Corners Regional Airport (KFMN), Farmington, New Mexico.

The wreckage was located in a dirt field surrounded by sage brush at an elevation of about 7,100 ft mean sea level. The airplane came to rest inverted on a heading of about 360° magnetic. The first point of impact (FPI) was displaced brush with blue paint transfer marks about 30 feet southwest of the main wreckage. Pieces of the wood propeller were scattered between the FPI and the main wreckage.
The airplane was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Taylorcraft 
Registration: N24345
Model/Series: BL-65 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator: On file 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: 
Condition of Light:
Observation Facility, Elevation: KFMN,5502 ft msl
Observation Time: 11:53 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 52 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 19°C /-11°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 6 knots / , 160°
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.95 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point: Afton, WY (KAFO)
Destination: Kerrville, TX

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 36.131543,-107.4453 (est)

Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances. 

Date: 09-APR-22
Time: 18:42:00Z
Regis#: N24345
Aircraft Make: TAYLORCRAFT
Aircraft Model: BL-65
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: FATAL
Total Fatal: 1
Flight Crew:  1 Minor Injuries
Pax:  1 Fatal
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: EN ROUTE (ENR)
Operation: 91
City: OJO ENCINO
State: NEW MEXICO

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation may contact them by email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov. You can also call the NTSB Response Operations Center at 844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290.


One person was killed and a young man was injured in a small plane crash Saturday afternoon in a sparsely populated region of Sandoval County.

New Mexico State Police spokesman Dusty Francisco said the agency responded around 12:45 p.m. to the crash near Ojo Encino, eight miles south of Counselor.

He said there were two people inside the plane when it crashed and one was pronounced dead at the scene. Francisco said the second, a 19-year-old man, was taken to a hospital.

“His current condition is not known,” he said.

Francisco said the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will be leading an investigation into the crash.

“Any additional details about the investigation will be provided by those agencies,” he said.


One person has died, and a second person was injured, after a small plane crashed Saturday afternoon in Sandoval County.

A spokesman for New Mexico State Police said the plane crashed around 12:45 pm Saturday near Ojo Encino, about eight miles south of Counselor. There were two passengers aboard the plane.

New Mexico State Police officers arrived at the scene, along with units from Sandoval County Fire. 

One victim was declared dead at the scene by the Office of the Medical Investigator. 

The second person, was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital. There is no update on the condition of that victim.

New Mexico State Police officers and Navajo Nation Police are trying to determine whether the crash occurred on Navajo land. 

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified and will open an investigation into the crash.

8 comments:

  1. I fly out of KFMN (a little to the NW of the accident site). I work down in that area. No ADSB or radar if you're down low. I don't think weather was a factor but around here the weather can be different in a short distance. They weren't too far from Chaco Canyon. Maybe a turning stall spin?

    Prayers for the injured and condolences to the family of the deceased.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Short video of N24345 taxiing at KDWA in 2021:

    https://youtu.be/omV2BN7oLjg

    ReplyDelete
  3. Plane may have recently been sold. Barnstormers ad (since removed) had message link to registered owner name:

    https://www.barnstormers.com/contact_seller.php?id=1654957
    Listing was for "Pre-war BL-65 Taylorcraft"

    Ad is not still in Google cache or at archive.org:
    https://www.barnstormers.com/classified-1654957-Pre-war-BL-65-Taylorcraft.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mr. Popejoy apparently posted a new Barnstormers ad on 15 April. No word in the news so far on who was aboard the Taylorcraft, but it doesn't seem to have been Mr. Popejoy.

      https://www.barnstormers.com/classified-1652488-Cleaning-out-the-hangar.html

      Delete
  4. Preliminary makes it sound like a delivery flight to new owner in Texas.

    https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104917/pdf

    ReplyDelete
  5. On April 9, 2022, about 1200 mountain standard time, a Taylorcraft BL-65, N24345, was substantially
    damaged when it was involved in an accident near Counselor, New Mexico. The pilot/owner was fatally
    injured, and the instructor pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code
    of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
    According to multiple witnesses, the owner travelled to Afton, Wyoming to fly the accident airplane
    home with a flight instructor. They departed Afton, Wyoming on April 8, 2022, about 0930 central
    standard time for the multiday, cross-country flight, with an intended destination of Kerrville, Texas.
    The accident flight occurred on an intermediate leg of the cross-country flight about 45 minutes after the
    pilot departed Four Corners Regional Airport (KFMN), Farmington, New Mexico.
    The wreckage was located in a dirt field surrounded by sage brush at an elevation of about 7,100 ft mean
    sea level. The airplane came to rest inverted on a heading of about 360° magnetic. The first point of
    impact (FPI) was displaced brush with blue paint transfer marks about 30 feet southwest of the main
    wreckage. Pieces of the wood propeller were scattered between the FPI and the main wreckage

    ReplyDelete
  6. How do we get the name of oeners

    ReplyDelete