What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) At 800' AGL in cruise smoke was noticed on the windscreen coming from the engine compartment. The engine lost power. Pilot secured engine and electrical. Pilot directed aircraft to a landing on private industrial property. On roll out aircraft inverted, on soft ground. Fire consumed aircraft. ELT activated. No injuries. (.19) on June 15, 2002, at 1400 central daylight time, an amateur built firm kit fox 4-1200, N598HL, piloted by a private pilot was destroyed by a post impact fire following a forced landing during cruise flight near Virginia, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant, reported no injuries. The flight originated at tower municipal airport (12D), tower, Minnesota at 1350 central daylight time. According to the pilot's written statement, during cruise flight at 800 feet above ground level (AGL) he experienced a strong fuel odor followed by a loss of engine power and smoke over the windshield. The pilot stated, "I made a steep, descending right turn back to the lakebed. At this point, I noticed my windshield on the right side was starting to melt and discolor. I did not see any flames, but the smoke in the cabin was very thick. I touched down on the main wheels at about 20 miles per hour above stall speed and coasted on the mains for about 250 feet before the right main entered a wet area and dug in and flipped the plane onto its back." The pilot reported that the right wing fuel tank was on fire as he exited the aircraft. He stated that the right wing was engulfed in flames and that the cockpit, seats, windshield, and the left wing were burning. The aircraft completely burned except for the tail area and wingtips.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AT 800' AGL IN CRUISE SMOKE WAS NOTICED ON THE WINDSCREEN COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE ENGINE LOST POWER. PILOT SECURED ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL. PILOT DIRECTED AIRCRAFT TO A LANDING ON PRIVATE INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY. ON ROLL OUT AIRCRAFT INVERTED, ON SOFT GROUND. FIRE CONSUMED AIRCRAFT. ELT ACTIVATED. NO INJURIES. (.19) ON JUNE 15, 2002, AT 1400 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AMATEUR BUILT FIRM KIT FOX 4-1200, N598HL, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT WAS DESTROYED BY A POST IMPACT FIRE FOLLOWING A FORCED LANDING DURING CRUISE FLIGHT NEAR VIRGINIA, MINNESOTA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT TOWER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (12D), TOWER, MINNESOTA AT 1350 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S WRITTEN STATEMENT, DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT 800 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) HE EXPERIENCED A STRONG FUEL ODOR FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND SMOKE OVER THE WINDSHIELD. THE PILOT STATED, "I MADE A STEEP, DESCENDING RIGHT TURN BACK TO THE LAKEBED. AT THIS POINT, I NOTICED MY WINDSHIELD ON THE RIGHT SIDE WAS STARTING TO MELT AND DISCOLOR. I DID NOT SEE ANY FLAMES, BUT THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN WAS VERY THICK. I TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAIN WHEELS AT ABOUT 20 MILES PER HOUR ABOVE STALL SPEED AND COASTED ON THE MAINS FOR ABOUT 250 FEET BEFORE THE RIGHT MAIN ENTERED A WET AREA AND DUG IN AND FLIPPED THE PLANE ONTO ITS BACK." THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK WAS ON FIRE AS HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. HE STATED THAT THE RIGHT WING WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND THAT THE COCKPIT, SEATS, WINDSHIELD, AND THE LEFT WING WERE BURNING. THE AIRCRAFT COMPLETELY BURNED EXCEPT FOR THE TAIL AREA AND WINGTIPS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.