What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On may 15, 2002 at 1738 CDT, an RV-4 experimental airplane, N437BN, was substantially damaged when it collided with the ground following an engine stoppage shortly after takeoff from a private grass runway. The aircraft departed to the south and turned to the north. According to witnesses the engine quit while the airplane was on a downwind leg for the departure runway. Witnesses stated the aircraft descended northbound, then turned northeast shortly before impact into a fallow rice field. The aircraft, owned, operated, and flown by a private pilot, departed on a 14 CFR part 91 flight to demonstrate the airplane to a student pilot. A flight plan was not filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the area. The pilot occupying the front received fatal injuries and the passenger occupying the rear seat received serious injuries. There were no ground injuries or colateral damage. A substantial fire erupted during the accident sequence, consuming the forward section of the aircraft from the pilot seat forward. The fuel selector was selected to the right tank and no usable fuel was found in the right tank. The right tank's integrity was not breached.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MAY 15, 2002 AT 1738 CDT, AN RV-4 EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE, N437BN, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND FOLLOWING AN ENGINE STOPPAGE SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM A PRIVATE GRASS RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TO THE SOUTH AND TURNED TO THE NORTH. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE ENGINE QUIT WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A DOWNWIND LEG FOR THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. WITNESSES STATED THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED NORTHBOUND, THEN TURNED NORTHEAST SHORTLY BEFORE IMPACT INTO A FALLOW RICE FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT, OWNED, OPERATED, AND FLOWN BY A PRIVATE PILOT, DEPARTED ON A 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT TO DEMONSTRATE THE AIRPLANE TO A STUDENT PILOT. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED THROUGHOUT THE AREA. THE PILOT OCCUPYING THE FRONT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER OCCUPYING THE REAR SEAT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THERE WERE NO GROUND INJURIES OR COLATERAL DAMAGE. A SUBSTANTIAL FIRE ERUPTED DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE, CONSUMING THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE PILOT SEAT FORWARD. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SELECTED TO THE RIGHT TANK AND NO USABLE FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE RIGHT TANK. THE RIGHT TANK'S INTEGRITY WAS NOT BREACHED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.