Amateur-built BD-5B accident near Falcon, Colorado, May 9, 1998
On May 9, 1998 at about 8:00 pm local time, a amateur-built BD-5B, registered N194EC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Falcon, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The vibration induced overload failure of the canopy holdback fitting resulting in reduced control capability. A factor was partial failure of one propeller blade for unknown reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 1998 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Falcon, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BD-5B
- Registration
- N194EC · no longer on the register · serial 1994
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on a local test flight, the aircraft developed a violent vibration and the canopy partially separated causing control of the aircraft to be reduced. To prevent a stall the pilot had to maintain an exaggerated nose down attitude with the aircraft and conducted a full stall hard landing short of the runway. Postcrash examination revealed that one of the wooden propeller blades had cracked. The examination did not provide any evidence that would have caused the blade strike, weakness in the wood, or inadequate laminate bonding.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,477 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 4,477 as pilot in command; 2,142 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 850 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Suzuki 635CC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 00V
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from COS, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.