What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Airman was flying from pine river, MN to park rapids, MN at approximately 8:00 pm local time, at 450 feet, 60 knots, ran into fog, got disoriented and hit a tree. The right wing separated from the aircraft and the aircraft crashed into a lightly wooded area. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The pilot has several broken ribs and pulled tendons. This accident was not reported by the pilot. The ELT signal was located by the civil air patrol and the cass county sheriff's responded to the scene. (.19) on November 7, 2001, approximately 2000 central standard time, a Taylorcraft F19, N20002, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during cruise flight when it struck a tree and subsequently impacted into a wooded area 9 miles west of Backus, Minnesota. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot sustained minor injuries in the crash. The cross-country flight originated at park rapids, Minnesota, approximately 1940, and was en route to pine river, Minnesota. A federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane at the accident scene. The airplane's right wing was found in a tree approximately 120 feet prior to the airplane main wreckage. Debris from the airplane and broken tree branches were scattered along a 035 degree magnetic heading between the tree and the airplane main wreckage. The airplane main wreckage was found nesting on the ground on its right side cabin. The engine and cowling were bent and twisted up and right. The airplane's fuselage was resting against trees on the edge of a swampy area and ran upward 30 degrees to the ground. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were bent and broken aft. The propeller showed no damage. Flight control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the engine and other airplane systems revealed no anomalies. At 2019, the aviation routine weather report (METAR) for park rapids, Minnesota, 19 miles north of the accident site, was ceiling 400 overcast, 3 miles visibility and mist, temperature 43 degrees fahrenheit (f), dew point 42 degrees f, winds 310 degrees at 11 knots, and altimeter 30.03 inches of mercury. According to FAA airman records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with single engine land rating.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRMAN WAS FLYING FROM PINE RIVER, MN TO PARK RAPIDS, MN AT APPROXIMATELY 8:00 PM LOCAL TIME, AT 450 FEET, 60 KNOTS, RAN INTO FOG, GOT DISORIENTED AND HIT A TREE. THE RIGHT WING SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A LIGHTLY WOODED AREA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PILOT HAS SEVERAL BROKEN RIBS AND PULLED TENDONS. THIS ACCIDENT WAS NOT REPORTED BY THE PILOT. THE ELT SIGNAL WAS LOCATED BY THE CIVIL AIR PATROL AND THE CASS COUNTY SHERIFF'S RESPONDED TO THE SCENE. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 7, 2001, APPROXIMATELY 2000 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A TAYLORCRAFT F19, N20002, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING CRUISE FLIGHT WHEN IT STRUCK A TREE AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED INTO A WOODED AREA 9 MILES WEST OF BACKUS, MINNESOTA. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES IN THE CRASH. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT PARK RAPIDS, MINNESOTA, APPROXIMATELY 1940, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO PINE RIVER, MINNESOTA. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE. THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT WING WAS FOUND IN A TREE APPROXIMATELY 120 FEET PRIOR TO THE AIRPLANE MAIN WRECKAGE. DEBRIS FROM THE AIRPLANE AND BROKEN TREE BRANCHES WERE SCATTERED ALONG A 035 DEGREE MAGNETIC HEADING BETWEEN THE TREE AND THE AIRPLANE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE AIRPLANE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS FOUND NESTING ON THE GROUND ON ITS RIGHT SIDE CABIN. THE ENGINE AND COWLING WERE BENT AND TWISTED UP AND RIGHT. THE AIRPLANE'S FUSELAGE WAS RESTING AGAINST TREES ON THE EDGE OF A SWAMPY AREA AND RAN UPWARD 30 DEGREES TO THE GROUND. THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR WERE BENT AND BROKEN AFT. THE PROPELLER SHOWED NO DAMAGE. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND OTHER AIRPLANE SYSTEMS REVEALED NO ANOMALIES. AT 2019, THE AVIATION ROUTINE WEATHER REPORT (METAR) FOR PARK RAPIDS, MINNESOTA, 19 MILES NORTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, WAS CEILING 400 OVERCAST, 3 MILES VISIBILITY AND MIST, TEMPERATURE 43 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT (F), DEW POINT 42 DEGREES F, WINDS 310 DEGREES AT 11 KNOTS, AND ALTIMETER 30.03 INCHES OF MERCURY. ACCORDING TO FAA AIRMAN RECORDS, THE PILOT HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.