What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost control on climbout. Crashed burned. Appears elevator control rod broke. Pilot tried use trim tab. Helped. (-23) on July 23, 1997, at 1606 CDT a van's aircraft, RV-4, N36JG, owned and operated by ATP rated pilot, kosta asselanis was destroyed when on initial climb after takeoff froma private airstrip (jensen field). The aircraft departed controlled flight. The airplane subsequently impacted an adjacent corn field followed by a post-crash fire. VMC conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was personal in nature under FAR 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight departed jensen airstrip in rosemount, MN at 1604 CDT.
As the FAA filed it
LOST CONTROL ON CLIMBOUT. CRASHED BURNED. APPEARS ELEVATOR CONTROL ROD BROKE. PILOT TRIED USE TRIM TAB. HELPED. (-23) ON JULY 23, 1997, AT 1606 CDT A VAN'S AIRCRAFT, RV-4, N36JG, OWNED AND OPERATED BY ATP RATED PILOT, KOSTA ASSELANIS WAS DESTROYED WHEN ON INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF FROMA PRIVATE AIRSTRIP (JENSEN FIELD). THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED AN ADJACENT CORN FIELD FOLLOWED BY A POST-CRASH FIRE. VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS PERSONAL IN NATURE UNDER FAR 91 AND WAS NOT ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED JENSEN AIRSTRIP IN ROSEMOUNT, MN AT 1604 CDT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.