What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft departed the grass area next to runway 30 on a local flight around the pattern at the Owatonna Degner regional airport (owa) with the pilot being the only occupant of the aircraft. After one time around the pattern, the aircraft landed and a passenger boarded the airplane in the front cockpit. After departing the second time, the aircraft climbed to an altitude of two wingspans above the trees and a silo, according to a witness. The aircraft then entered a steep bank turn to the left, then descended straight down to the surface. Weather at the time accident (1338Z) was wind 310 at 3 knots, temperature 23/21 altimeter 2987. Density altitude at 1425Z was 2600 feet. (.19) on June 27, 2002, at 0930 central daylight time, a bar/curtiss JN-4D, N38057, collided with the terrain shortly after taking off from the Owatonna Degner regional airport, Owatonna, Minnesota. The takeoff was made on the grass which parallels the taxiway in the direction of runway 30. The pilot was seriously injured and the rear seat passenger received fatal injuries. The airplane received substantial damage. The 14 CFR part 91 flight was o perating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from the Owatonna Degner regional airport at 0925. The airplane was a replica of a curtiss jenny JN-4. The accident occurred during the second flight of the airplane. The first flight had occurred in December 2001.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE GRASS AREA NEXT TO RUNWAY 30 ON A LOCAL FLIGHT AROUND THE PATTERN AT THE OWATONNA DEGNER REGIONAL AIRPORT (OWA) WITH THE PILOT BEING THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER ONE TIME AROUND THE PATTERN, THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AND A PASSENGER BOARDED THE AIRPLANE IN THE FRONT COCKPIT. AFTER DEPARTING THE SECOND TIME, THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF TWO WINGSPANS ABOVE THE TREES AND A SILO, ACCORDING TO A WITNESS. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ENTERED A STEEP BANK TURN TO THE LEFT, THEN DESCENDED STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE SURFACE. WEATHER AT THE TIME ACCIDENT (1338Z) WAS WIND 310 AT 3 KNOTS, TEMPERATURE 23/21 ALTIMETER 2987. DENSITY ALTITUDE AT 1425Z WAS 2600 FEET. (.19) ON JUNE 27, 2002, AT 0930 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BAR/CURTISS JN-4D, N38057, COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN SHORTLY AFTER TAKING OFF FROM THE OWATONNA DEGNER REGIONAL AIRPORT, OWATONNA, MINNESOTA. THE TAKEOFF WAS MADE ON THE GRASS WHICH PARALLELS THE TAXIWAY IN THE DIRECTION OF RUNWAY 30. THE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND THE REAR SEAT PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS O PERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE OWATONNA DEGNER REGIONAL AIRPORT AT 0925. THE AIRPLANE WAS A REPLICA OF A CURTISS JENNY JN-4. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE SECOND FLIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE. THE FIRST FLIGHT HAD OCCURRED IN DECEMBER 2001.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.