Amateur-built BD-10 accident near Dana Point, California, February 22, 2003
On February 22, 2003, a amateur-built BD-10, registered N7FF, was destroyed in an accident near Dana Point, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
in-flight breakup of the experimental airplane for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 2003
- Place
- Dana Point, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BD-10
- Registration
- N7FF · registry record · serial 0002
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight, the pilot radioed a MAYDAY in which he stated that his experimental jet airplane was disintegrating. A witness flying in the area saw a fast moving object in front him and then a splash in the water. The witness was not able to focus on the object before it hit the water. When he flew over in that area he noted debris in the water as well as debris floating down out of the sky. Portions of the airplane not recovered from the ocean were the tail section with engine, forward cockpit section, and the main and nose landing gear. A failure point was not identifiable in the portions of the wreckage that were recovered. Aircraft logbooks were not made available for the accident airplane. A review of the radar data showed that the flight descended from 13,300 feet to 1,100 feet in 37 seconds.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: General Electric CJ610-J85--J4 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNA Santa Ana CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
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.