Amateur-built LEGACY 2000 N273TE accident near Belen, New Mexico

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines while maneuvering after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to operate the airplane during the hours of darkness when he had a restriction for daytime flight only due to color vision limitations.

NTSB analysis

The experimental airplane collided with power lines shortly after takeoff and before sunrise. No distress calls from the pilot were reported, and no one witnessed the accident. The airplane was severely fragmented, and the debris path extended over 900 feet beyond the initial contact with the power lines consistent with a high-velocity impact. Examination of the engine and airframe did not reveal any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Two occupants were on board the airplane, the pilot and the pilot-rated owner of the airplane. Witnesses reported that the pilot and pilot-rated passenger flew together because the pilot-rated passenger did not have a valid medical certificate. The pilot's most recent medical certificate had the following restrictions: "must wear corrective lenses" and "limited to daytime flight only" due to color vision limitations. The investigation revealed that the power lines were barely visible on the horizon in the desertlike terrain during daylight hours. Although it could not be determined whether the pilot or the pilot-rated passenger was at the controls at the time of the accident, it is likely that the flight's conduct before sunrise and the pilot's restriction for daytime flight only due to color vision limitations made the identification of the power lines more difficult.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12FA174 for the full record.