BD-5 jet crash, Camarillo

[SoCal RV Flyer]

Unfortunately, the pilot did not survive. On a lunch run to Hemet, I saw a similar plane doing low approaches over the runway...might be the same one.

https://abc7.com/1-killed-in-small-plane-crash-near-camarillo-airport/5603392/

 

[Zeldman]

Sad for the loss of the pilot.

I did not know any of these were still flying. The last one I saw was mounted to the outside wall of a hanger at Merrill Field in Anchorage.

 

[Mooney Fan]

Sad news

 

[Mooney Fan]

Is it the BD-5J or the prop version. Just read in EAA Sport Aviation about a BD-5B prop version.

 

[frfly172]

RIP

 

[EppyGA]

Sad for the loss of the pilot.

I did not know any of these were still flying. The last one I saw was mounted to the outside wall of a hanger at Merrill Field in Anchorage.

There is a very active FB group. We had a kit in the chapter for a short while. A member gave us $1,000 toward the youth program for it.

 

[Dana]

Sad for the loss of the pilot.

I did not know any of these were still flying. The last one I saw was mounted to the outside wall of a hanger at Merrill Field in Anchorage.

I suspect there are more flying today than were built originally as jets.

Earlier this year I ran into the owner of the BD-5J that was flown in the James Bond movie. The plane needs a lot of work, but he says he'll have it flying again someday.

 

[steingar]

I think you can still get kits to build the jets. It and the Subsonex are the only mirojets.

 

[Kenny Phillips]

Is it the BD-5J or the prop version. Just read in EAA Sport Aviation about a BD-5B prop version.

There is a photo showing the propeller.

 

[jsstevens]

There is (or was) a company flying some as federal contractors for cruise missile defense testing. There was an article about them in the AOPA mag a few years ago.

And on here:https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/james-bonds-micro-jet-lives-on-as-a-pretend-cruise-miss-1613344267

 

[unsafervguy]

The aircraft that crashed was n501bd. Not s/n 2 501bd but S/n 1039, he must have gotten the n number after bede deregistered s/n 2. It was a prop version, from the pics it looks like a long wing version, not the short wing they use on the j model.

 

[Elizabeth Lewis]

Just to clarify, yes, my dad's BD-5 was the prop version and yes, he secured the N501BD tail number as a homage to Jim Bede's original. He switched the wings on it from the "A" to the "B" sometime in the last few years (he'd had an off-field landing in 2004 that had damaged the plane and spent the last 15 years tinkering with it).

 

[Rebel]

Just to clarify, yes, my dad's BD-5 was the prop version and yes, he secured the N501BD tail number as a homage to Jim Bede's original. He switched the wings on it from the "A" to the "B" sometime in the last few years (he'd had an off-field landing in 2004 that had damaged the plane and spent the last 15 years tinkering with it).

Elizabeth; So sorry for your loss. Be comforted knowing how much your dad loved flying. Prayers for you and your family.