What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On April 18, 2002, approximately 1100 central daylight time, a harder howard Skybolt experimental amateur-built airplane, N16HH, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Claremore, Oklahoma. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. The airline transport pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The flight originated from the Claremore regional airport, at 1000. In a telephone interview with NTSB investigator-in-charge, a witness reported the airplane descending from an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet "straight down, with its wings turning to the right in a clockwise direction." He also reported that the airplane looked as if it were trying to pull up out of the dive, but then went behind a group of trees, estimated to be 10 to 15 feet tall, before impacting the ground. According to the FAA inspector, who traveled to the accident site, the airplane impacted terrain in a slightly nose down, flat atltitude, coming to rest in an upright position. The fuselage was bent and twisted, the right upper wing was separated, and one propeller blade was broken. At 1053, tulsa (tul) weather observation reported a few clouds at 11,000 feet, wind 190 degrees at 18 knots, gust to 22 knots, temperature 75 degrees fahrenheit, dewpoint 66 degrees fahrenheit, and the altimeter of 29.95 inches of mercury. (-23) on April 18, 2002, at approximately 1100 central daylight time a harder howard Skybolt experimental amateur built airplane, N16HH, was destroyed when it impacted the ground short of runway 17 at the Claremore regional airport, near Claremore, OK. The flight originated from the Claremore regional airport at 1000 CDT. The pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft was fatally injured. The FAA investigator-in-charge at the site noted the aircraft impacted the terrain in a slightly nose down, flat attitude, coming to rest in an upright position. One propeller blade was broken in two, the broken blade was later found beneath the wreckage, the aircraft fuselage was bent and twisted, and the upper right wing was separated, above the fuselage, d ue to the impact. FAA inspectors examined the wreckage and found no evidence of fuel in the engine's fuel filter, fuel lines or injectors. There was no evidence of fuel in the upper fuel tank. The lower fuel tank was ruptured due to the crash, however there was no evidence of fuel spillage in the aircraft or around the accident site. A witness near the scene observed the aircraft executing a loop maneuver as it was approaching the airport and stated the aircraft went down after making the loop. Another witness observed the aircraft making two loops and going straight down after the second loop.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON APRIL 18, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 1100 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A HARDER HOWARD SKYBOLT EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT AIRPLANE, N16HH, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR CLAREMORE, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE CLAREMORE REGIONAL AIRPORT, AT 1000. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, A WITNESS REPORTED THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING FROM AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET "STRAIGHT DOWN, WITH ITS WINGS TURNING TO THE RIGHT IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION." HE ALSO REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE LOOKED AS IF IT WERE TRYING TO PULL UP OUT OF THE DIVE, BUT THEN WENT BEHIND A GROUP OF TREES, ESTIMATED TO BE 10 TO 15 FEET TALL, BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, WHO TRAVELED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A SLIGHTLY NOSE DOWN, FLAT ATLTITUDE, COMING TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THE FUSELAGE WAS BENT AND TWISTED, THE RIGHT UPPER WING WAS SEPARATED, AND ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS BROKEN. AT 1053, TULSA (TUL) WEATHER OBSERVATION REPORTED A FEW CLOUDS AT 11,000 FEET, WIND 190 DEGREES AT 18 KNOTS, GUST TO 22 KNOTS, TEMPERATURE 75 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, DEWPOINT 66 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND THE ALTIMETER OF 29.95 INCHES OF MERCURY. (-23) ON APRIL 18, 2002, AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME A HARDER HOWARD SKYBOLT EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT AIRPLANE, N16HH, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND SHORT OF RUNWAY 17 AT THE CLAREMORE REGIONAL AIRPORT, NEAR CLAREMORE, OK. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE CLAREMORE REGIONAL AIRPORT AT 1000 CDT. THE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FAA INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE AT THE SITE NOTED THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A SLIGHTLY NOSE DOWN, FLAT ATTITUDE, COMING TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS BROKEN IN TWO, THE BROKEN BLADE WAS LATER FOUND BENEATH THE WRECKAGE, THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE WAS BENT AND TWISTED, AND THE UPPER RIGHT WING WAS SEPARATED, ABOVE THE FUSELAGE, D UE TO THE IMPACT. FAA INSPECTORS EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL IN THE ENGINE'S FUEL FILTER, FUEL LINES OR INJECTORS. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL IN THE UPPER FUEL TANK. THE LOWER FUEL TANK WAS RUPTURED DUE TO THE CRASH, HOWEVER THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE IN THE AIRCRAFT OR AROUND THE ACCIDENT SITE. A WITNESS NEAR THE SCENE OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT EXECUTING A LOOP MANEUVER AS IT WAS APPROACHING THE AIRPORT AND STATED THE AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN AFTER MAKING THE LOOP. ANOTHER WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT MAKING TWO LOOPS AND GOING STRAIGHT DOWN AFTER THE SECOND LOOP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.