# Airplane crash off of San Onofre **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 22, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airplane-crash-off-of-san-onofre/156779 "2003-02-22T15:20:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airplane-crash-off-of-san-onofre/156779/1 "2003-02-22T15:20:12Z")
An experimental aircraft crashed off the coast yesterday near the San Onofre nuclear power plant. KNBC-4 said it was a type “known for in-flight break-ups”. [This site](http://www.msnbc.com/local/knbc/A1504777.asp) says “the plane is believed to be a B-10 model”. The news showed a pair of sewpt wings (as a unit) floating just below the surface of the ocean. The only experimental I can think of that’s “known” to have a problem with in-flight break-ups is the Bede BD-10, a supersonic homebuilt that suffered from flutter problems. BD-10 _sounds_ like B-10. But I didn’t think any of them were actually sold. Does anyone know what the airplane that crashed yesterday actually was? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airplane-crash-off-of-san-onofre/156779/2 "2003-02-22T16:02:28Z")
[This site calls it a BD-10](http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/5239852.htm) (They also identify the pilot as 53 years old, after earlier reports had noted the body of an “elderly” man had been recovered. Gee, I get to be elderly next year.) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airplane-crash-off-of-san-onofre/156779/3 "2003-02-22T17:36:50Z")
The [url="[http://www.jimbede.com/bd10.html](http://www.jimbede.com/bd10.html) is a cool airplane. Too bad people tend to get killed in it. My dad was building a BD-5. A friend of his had access to a small turbojet engine and asked my dad to be partners with him. Dad called Jim Bede and asked if it was possible to put a jet engine in his BD-5. Bede told him it would never work – and then eventually came out with the BD-5J jet-powered BD-5. The BD-5 also had a poor reputation. IIRC there were certain situations (loss of power, IIRC) where a stall would put turbulent air over the stabilator and cause the stall to be unrecoverable. I understand there is a company in Oregon that is offering BD-5 kits for sale. Maybe the problem has been fixed? I’d fly one. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airplane-crash-off-of-san-onofre/156779/4 "2003-02-22T17:38:44Z")
[BD-10. Fixing the link.](http://www.jimbede.com/bd10.html)