What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On June 16, 2002, at 1030 central daylight time, a rutan vari viggen, N915D, piloted by a commercial pilot was destroyed following impact with terrain on initial climb from runway 27 (4,000 feet by 57 feet, concrete), at the Frasca Field Airport (C16), Urbana, Illinois. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was en route to the andy barnhart memorial airport (3OH0), carlisle, Ohio. (-23) on June 16, 2002 at about 1030 CDT the pilot/owner of a Variviggen amateur built aircraft, registration number N915D was departing runway 27 at Frasca field (C16) Urbana, Illinois for a personal flight. The ground roll was about 3000 feet and the aircraft climbed to an estimated 200 feet altitude and started a right turn. Approximately 90 degrees through the turn the aircraft rolled to inverted and the nose pitched down. The aircraft contacted the ground in an inverted attitude with the left wing down slightly. The pilot received fatal injuries and the aircraft was totally destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JUNE 16, 2002, AT 1030 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A RUTAN VARI VIGGEN, N915D, PILOTED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING IMPACT WITH TERRAIN ON INITIAL CLIMB FROM RUNWAY 27 (4,000 FEET BY 57 FEET, CONCRETE), AT THE FRASCA FIELD AIRPORT (C16), URBANA, ILLINOIS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS EN ROUTE TO THE ANDY BARNHART MEMORIAL AIRPORT (3OH0), CARLISLE, OHIO. (-23) ON JUNE 16, 2002 AT ABOUT 1030 CDT THE PILOT/OWNER OF A VARIVIGGEN AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION NUMBER N915D WAS DEPARTING RUNWAY 27 AT FRASCA FIELD (C16) URBANA, ILLINOIS FOR A PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE GROUND ROLL WAS ABOUT 3000 FEET AND THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO AN ESTIMATED 200 FEET ALTITUDE AND STARTED A RIGHT TURN. APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES THROUGH THE TURN THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO INVERTED AND THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND IN AN INVERTED ATTITUDE WITH THE LEFT WING DOWN SLIGHTLY. THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.