Amateur-built BP-1 accident near Minden, Nevada, April 19, 1984
On April 19, 1984 at about 1:32 am local time, a amateur-built BP-1, registered N123BP, was destroyed in an accident near Minden, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 1984 · about 1:32 am local time
- Place
- Minden, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BP-1
- Registration
- N123BP · registry record · serial BP-1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT ENTER A RIGHT TURN AT ABOUT 1000 TO 1500 FT AGL. THE TURN STEEPENED INTO A TIGHT SPIRAL, & SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE PLT WAS WEARING A PARACHUTE & BAILED OUT; HOWEVER, THE PARACHUTE BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE ACFT & PULLED THE PLT TO THE GROUND. THE RIGHT AILERON WAS FOUND ABOUT 1000 FT NE OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE WINGS WERE COMPLETELY SHATTERED DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE WINGS & AILERONS HAD BEEN REBUILT ON 5/30/82 AFTER THE ACFT HAD SUSTAINED DAMAGE. A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE HAD BEEN ISSUED ON 10/3/83 FOR 25 HRS OF FLT TIME OR 1 YEAR. THE ACFT HAD A TOTAL FLT TIME OF 15 HRS.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 3, 1983; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-125-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 23 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:32 am from RNO, 29 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.
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 SEA84FA090.