Anderson Aircraft Corp. BD-5 accident near Everett, Washington, June 11, 1989
On June 11, 1989 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Anderson Aircraft Corp. BD-5, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N13AT, was destroyed in an accident near Everett, Washington (Paine Field). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE BY THE PILOT/OWNER/BUILDER, HIS OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH A KNOWN DEFICIENCY, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED DURING AN EMERGENCY DESCENT, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 1989 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Everett, Washington · Paine Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Anderson Aircraft Corp. BD-5, amateur-built
- Registration
- N13AT · no longer on the register · serial 1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HOMEBUILT ACFT WAS ON ITS INITIAL TEST FLT, WHEN IT CRASHED. SVRL PSNL RPRTD THAT BEFORE THE FLT, ENG PROBLEMS HAD BEEN EXPERIENCED. RPRTDLY, THERE HAD BEEN PROBLEMS WITH THE MIXTURE CONTROL SYS & THE ENG HAD BEEN OVERHEATING. ONE WITNESS NOTED THE ENG HAD STOPPED RUNNING 2 TIMES AS THE PLT WAS TAXIING TO TAKE OFF. BOTH TIMES, IT WAS RESTARTED AFTERMANY 'CRANKS' OR 'SPINS OF THE PROP.' ALSO, THE WITNESS NOTED THAT WHILE THE PLT WAS WAITING FOR ANOTHER ACFT TO DEPART, THE 'ENGINE WAS RUNNING AT HIGH RPM IN ORDER (HE PRESUMED) TO KEEP IT GOING.' AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ACFT REMAINED AT LOW ALT, TURNED NORTH, THEN ENTERED A WIDE TURN TO THE SOUTH. TWR PSNL NOTED THE ACFT BEGAN DSCNDG, THEN ENTERED A STEEP DSCNT & DISAPPEARED BEHIND TREES. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT IMPACTED IN A BAY ABT 2 MI WEST OF THE ARPT. AFTER THE WRECKAGEWAS RETRIEVED, NO APPARENT PREIMPACT STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE ENG OR ACCESSORIES WAS FOUND. SOOT/DARK DISCOLORATION WERE FOUND INSIDE THE ENG COMPARTMENT, BUT A FIRE HAD OCCURRED IN THAT AREA ABT 1 YEAR BFR THE ACDNT.
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
- Flight time: 861 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, June 21, 1988; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 850 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Honda 1200 CC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAE Everett WA at 6:02 pm
- Destination: PAE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34L, 9,010 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:06 pm from PAE, 2 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.
Other NTSB records under N13AT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.