What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On July 3, 1999, at 2020 central daylight time, a larson smith miniplane DSA-1, owned and piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision witht he terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering near blackduck, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot, and sole occupant, was fatally injured. The local flight departed a private airstrip near blackduck, Minnesota, at 2000. A witness to the accident stated that the pilot arrived at the private airstrip around 1940 and mentioned that he would be going for a local aerobatic flight. The witness stated that the pilot departed the airstrip approximately twwenty minutes after he arrived. The witness stated that the aircraft had completed a series of loops, rolls, and hammerheads prior to the time of the accident. The witness stated that the aircraft was conducting the maneuvers around 3,000 feet above ground level (AGL). The witness reported that during one of the recoveries from a hammerhead maneuver the aircraft stalled and entered a nose-low spiraling path towards the ground. Examination of the wreckage was conducted and the control system was examined. The control system for the elevator and ailerons consists of push-pull rods/tubes. The aluminum push-pull tubes and rod end bearings for the elevator and ailerons were present and exhibited continuity. The rudder cables were found and continuity was established. A weather observation station, at the bemidji-beltrami county airport, located 25 statue miles southwest of the accident site, was reporting scattered clouds at 2,500 feet AGL, a broken ceiling at 4,000 feet AGL, and winds out of the southeast at 7 knots at the time of the accident. (-23)while performing a hammerhead, the a/c was observed leveling off from a dive and then going into a "tailspin" to the ground. The witness reported the engine running well. He heard no unusual sounds and did not see anything depart the airplane. We did not note any parts missing from the a/c at the accident site. No a/c or pilot logbooks have been found. No paperwork was found at the accident site.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JULY 3, 1999, AT 2020 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A LARSON SMITH MINIPLANE DSA-1, OWNED AND PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITHT HE TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR BLACKDUCK, MINNESOTA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND WAS NOT ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT, AND SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR BLACKDUCK, MINNESOTA, AT 2000. A WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT STATED THAT THE PILOT ARRIVED AT THE PRIVATE AIRSTRIP AROUND 1940 AND MENTIONED THAT HE WOULD BE GOING FOR A LOCAL AEROBATIC FLIGHT. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE PILOT DEPARTED THE AIRSTRIP APPROXIMATELY TWWENTY MINUTES AFTER HE ARRIVED. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD COMPLETED A SERIES OF LOOPS, ROLLS, AND HAMMERHEADS PRIOR TO THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTING THE MANEUVERS AROUND 3,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL). THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT DURING ONE OF THE RECOVERIES FROM A HAMMERHEAD MANEUVER THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND ENTERED A NOSE-LOW SPIRALING PATH TOWARDS THE GROUND. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE WAS CONDUCTED AND THE CONTROL SYSTEM WAS EXAMINED. THE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE ELEVATOR AND AILERONS CONSISTS OF PUSH-PULL RODS/TUBES. THE ALUMINUM PUSH-PULL TUBES AND ROD END BEARINGS FOR THE ELEVATOR AND AILERONS WERE PRESENT AND EXHIBITED CONTINUITY. THE RUDDER CABLES WERE FOUND AND CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. A WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION, AT THE BEMIDJI-BELTRAMI COUNTY AIRPORT, LOCATED 25 STATUE MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, WAS REPORTING SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 2,500 FEET AGL, A BROKEN CEILING AT 4,000 FEET AGL, AND WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTHEAST AT 7 KNOTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (-23)WHILE PERFORMING A HAMMERHEAD, THE A/C WAS OBSERVED LEVELING OFF FROM A DIVE AND THEN GOING INTO A "TAILSPIN" TO THE GROUND. THE WITNESS REPORTED THE ENGINE RUNNING WELL. HE HEARD NO UNUSUAL SOUNDS AND DID NOT SEE ANYTHING DEPART THE AIRPLANE. WE DID NOT NOTE ANY PARTS MISSING FROM THE A/C AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. NO A/C OR PILOT LOGBOOKS HAVE BEEN FOUND. NO PAPERWORK WAS FOUND AT THE ACCIDENT SITE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.