What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On April 29, 2002, at 1639 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140 single engine airplane, was destroyed when the airplane impacted the ground near Owasso, Oklahoma. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. The commercial pilot and passenger were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 aerial observation photo flight. The flight originated from the gundys airport, Owasso, at 1630. Preliminary information indicates the airplane was circling counterclockwise around a ball park when the engine lost power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a golf course. As the airplane neared the golf course, the pilot realized the area had numerous berms. After impacting several berms, which separated the landing gear, the left wing struck a tree seperating it from the fuselage. The airplane came to rest upright, and subsequently, consumed by fire. (-23) this aircraft departed gundy airport in Owasso, OK, at about 1600 on 04/29/2002 to take photographs of the baseball field about 3 miles southeas t of the airport. The pilot first circled gundy airport so that the passenger, (timothy w. bowman) could get the feel of what needed to be done at the ball field to take pictures. Over the baseball field and in the air for about thirty minutes, at about 600 feet the engine quit. The passenger and witnesses on the ground stated the prop was not turning. The pilot chose to land on a nearby golf course, (Owasso golf and athletic club) on the fairway to the seventh green. The pilot stated that he was committed to land when he noticed that there were several berms on the fairway. The first contact with the ground was the top of a berm that was about six feet taller than surrounding ground, braking off the left main gear. After the first contact the aircraft traveled 129 feet in the air before again coming into contact with the ground. The aircraft was on the ground traveling 117 feet and got airborne again traveling 30 feet, briefly coming into contact with a slight rise on the west side of the seventh green. The aircraft again airborne 60 feet then the aircraft was again on the ground on the green for 30 feet going up another berm that was about 3 feet high and the other side dropped off about 15 feet. Airborne the aircraft traveled about 54 feet hitting a tree about 15 feet up, shearing off the left wing at it's root. The nose of the aircraft was 51 feet from the tree with the aircraft resting on a heading of 80 degrees. The aircraft traveled about 471 feet from first contact with the ground to it's resting place. The right wing was broken off the fuselage and resting along side the fuselage. The aircraft was totally consumed by fire from the firewall to the rudder. Following control cables and push/pull tubes it appeared that all controls had continuity. The ELT was melted. A cowling inlet plut was found in the right side of the cowling, it was melted from the cylinder cooling fins and it's foam was hard and falling apart. The left plug was found about 50 feet to the right of the wreckage, someone used it for a pillow for the pilot, it was undamaged.
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON APRIL 29, 2002, AT 1639 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-140 SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE, WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND NEAR OWASSO, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AERIAL OBSERVATION PHOTO FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE GUNDYS AIRPORT, OWASSO, AT 1630. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATES THE AIRPLANE WAS CIRCLING COUNTERCLOCKWISE AROUND A BALL PARK WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT INITIATED A FORCED LANDING TO A GOLF COURSE. AS THE AIRPLANE NEARED THE GOLF COURSE, THE PILOT REALIZED THE AREA HAD NUMEROUS BERMS. AFTER IMPACTING SEVERAL BERMS, WHICH SEPARATED THE LANDING GEAR, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE SEPERATING IT FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST UPRIGHT, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, CONSUMED BY FIRE. (-23) THIS AIRCRAFT DEPARTED GUNDY AIRPORT IN OWASSO, OK, AT ABOUT 1600 ON 04/29/2002 TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE BASEBALL FIELD ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTHEAS T OF THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT FIRST CIRCLED GUNDY AIRPORT SO THAT THE PASSENGER, (TIMOTHY W. BOWMAN) COULD GET THE FEEL OF WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE AT THE BALL FIELD TO TAKE PICTURES. OVER THE BASEBALL FIELD AND IN THE AIR FOR ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES, AT ABOUT 600 FEET THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PASSENGER AND WITNESSES ON THE GROUND STATED THE PROP WAS NOT TURNING. THE PILOT CHOSE TO LAND ON A NEARBY GOLF COURSE, (OWASSO GOLF AND ATHLETIC CLUB) ON THE FAIRWAY TO THE SEVENTH GREEN. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS COMMITTED TO LAND WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL BERMS ON THE FAIRWAY. THE FIRST CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WAS THE TOP OF A BERM THAT WAS ABOUT SIX FEET TALLER THAN SURROUNDING GROUND, BRAKING OFF THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. AFTER THE FIRST CONTACT THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED 129 FEET IN THE AIR BEFORE AGAIN COMING INTO CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE GROUND TRAVELING 117 FEET AND GOT AIRBORNE AGAIN TRAVELING 30 FEET, BRIEFLY COMING INTO CONTACT WITH A SLIGHT RISE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE SEVENTH GREEN. THE AIRCRAFT AGAIN AIRBORNE 60 FEET THEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS AGAIN ON THE GROUND ON THE GREEN FOR 30 FEET GOING UP ANOTHER BERM THAT WAS ABOUT 3 FEET HIGH AND THE OTHER SIDE DROPPED OFF ABOUT 15 FEET. AIRBORNE THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED ABOUT 54 FEET HITTING A TREE ABOUT 15 FEET UP, SHEARING OFF THE LEFT WING AT IT'S ROOT. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS 51 FEET FROM THE TREE WITH THE AIRCRAFT RESTING ON A HEADING OF 80 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED ABOUT 471 FEET FROM FIRST CONTACT WITH THE GROUND TO IT'S RESTING PLACE. THE RIGHT WING WAS BROKEN OFF THE FUSELAGE AND RESTING ALONG SIDE THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY CONSUMED BY FIRE FROM THE FIREWALL TO THE RUDDER. FOLLOWING CONTROL CABLES AND PUSH/PULL TUBES IT APPEARED THAT ALL CONTROLS HAD CONTINUITY. THE ELT WAS MELTED. A COWLING INLET PLUT WAS FOUND IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE COWLING, IT WAS MELTED FROM THE CYLINDER COOLING FINS AND IT'S FOAM WAS HARD AND FALLING APART. THE LEFT PLUG WAS FOUND ABOUT 50 FEET TO THE RIGHT OF THE WRECKAGE, SOMEONE USED IT FOR A PILLOW FOR THE PILOT, IT WAS UNDAMAGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.