Amateur-built BD-4 accident near Kent, Washington, August 26, 1998
On August 26, 1998 at about 2:15 am local time, a amateur-built BD-4, registered N91LJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kent, Washington (Crest Airpark airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Directional control was not maintained by the pilot in command.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 1998 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Kent, Washington · Crest Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BD-4
- Registration
- N91LJ · registry record · serial 1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that he performed a normal wheel-landing. During the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the left of centerline. The flight instructor indicated to the commercial pilot, who was following on the controls, not to apply brakes. The flight instructor stated that he corrected the direction of travel back to centerline as the tail wheel was lowered. The airplane remained on centerline for several hundred feet, then began to veer to the right. The airplane continued to veer to the right and traveled off the runway at approximately mid-field. The airplane subsequently ground-looped before coming to rest on the grassy area between the runway and taxiway. The flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,331 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 1,940 as pilot in command; 2,141 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 171 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 21, 1998; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S36 Kent WA at 1:15 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,267 ft by 40 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 am from SEA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.