Taylorcraft BL-65 accident near New Cuyama, California, November 24, 2021
On November 24, 2021 at about 6:20 pm local time, a 1940 Taylorcraft BL-65, registered N29508, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (cruise) near New Cuyama, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to intentionally crash the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 2021 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- New Cuyama, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BL-65, built 1940 · all BL-65s on the register
- Registration
- N29508 · registry record · serial 2351
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Security/criminal event during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Miscellaneous › Intentional act › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 166 hours in all; 5.5 in this make and model; 166 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 16, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,533 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 18, 2016; 0.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-145B SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LPC Lompoc CA at 5:51 pm
- Destination: MMH Mammoth Lakes CA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 am from KIZA, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KIZA 241815Z AUTO 24004KT 10SM CLR 13/04 A3010 RMK AO2=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR22LA049.