- Date
- July 21, 1984, 10:47 local (17:47 UTC)
- Place
- Henderson, NV
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N78JCSperling BD-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840721033719A
- Case key
- 39818
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Witnesses reported observing the acft depart to the ssw toward the mountains. The acft made a series of turns and banks to avoid a group of thunderstorm cells (air mass thunderstorms) in a direction of interstate highway 15. The acft was reported to have made several turns away from the 'worst' part of the rain showers. All the witnesses reported the acft 'just pitched down and went into the ground.' The thunderstorm cells were not reported on the 1750Z las vegas, NV, fss surface analysis weather observation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78JC
- Reported as
- Sperling BD-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 638
- Airframe hours
- 60
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John C. Kimerly
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 10, 1983 · 60 hours before
- Destination
- Corona, CA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 500 total · 60 in this make and model · 400 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 18 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 14,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAS, 7 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.