What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On November 11, 2002, about 1445 eastern standard time, a Boeing stearman A75, N62897, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Glade Spring, Virginia. The certificated private pilot, and pilot rated passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight. No flight plan had been filed for the personal fight that was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to an inspector from the federal aviation administration (FAA), the accident airplane was part of a three airplane formation that had conducted a fly-by at a nearby veterans day celebration. At the completion of the fly-by, the three airplanes headed back to their departure airport, abingdon, Virginia. In the vicinity of Glade Spring, while two airplanes continued on to abingdon, the pilot of the accident airplane broke formation, and descended. The accident airplane was observed by several witnesses, performing low level flight, below the level of the surrounding hills. According to the pilot, he was maneuvering at a low altitude when the engine lost power, and could not clear a tree ahead of him. There was no suitable terrain that he could reach, and the airplane struck the tree. The pilot reported that he added carburetor heat, moved the throttle, verified that the mixture was rich, and tried different positions on the magneto switch but was unable to restore power to the engine. He also stated that the airplane had been operated for about one hour and the fuel tank was full at departure. The FAA inspector reported that fuel was found in the fuel tank, the propeller was fragmented, the engine had separated from the airframe, the upper and lower right side wings were destroyed, and the upper and lower left side wings had received substantial damage. The pilot reported his total flight experience as about 2,000 hours, with about 100 hours in make and model, and about 15 hours in the preceding 90 days. (-23) the airplane was observed by several witnesses, performing low level flight, below the level of the surrounding terrain (hills). The pilot stated he was maneuvering at a low altitude when the engine lost power. He was attempting to make an emergency landing on a golf course when he realized he could not clear a tree ahead of him. The aircraft struck the tree and was substantially damaged.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON NOVEMBER 11, 2002, ABOUT 1445 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A BOEING STEARMAN A75, N62897, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING IN GLADE SPRING, VIRGINIA. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT, AND PILOT RATED PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FIGHT THAT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA), THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS PART OF A THREE AIRPLANE FORMATION THAT HAD CONDUCTED A FLY-BY AT A NEARBY VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE FLY-BY, THE THREE AIRPLANES HEADED BACK TO THEIR DEPARTURE AIRPORT, ABINGDON, VIRGINIA. IN THE VICINITY OF GLADE SPRING, WHILE TWO AIRPLANES CONTINUED ON TO ABINGDON, THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE BROKE FORMATION, AND DESCENDED. THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED BY SEVERAL WITNESSES, PERFORMING LOW LEVEL FLIGHT, BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE SURROUNDING HILLS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS MANEUVERING AT A LOW ALTITUDE WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER, AND COULD NOT CLEAR A TREE AHEAD OF HIM. THERE WAS NO SUITABLE TERRAIN THAT HE COULD REACH, AND THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE TREE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE ADDED CARBURETOR HEAT, MOVED THE THROTTLE, VERIFIED THAT THE MIXTURE WAS RICH, AND TRIED DIFFERENT POSITIONS ON THE MAGNETO SWITCH BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE POWER TO THE ENGINE. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN OPERATED FOR ABOUT ONE HOUR AND THE FUEL TANK WAS FULL AT DEPARTURE. THE FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANK, THE PROPELLER WAS FRAGMENTED, THE ENGINE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME, THE UPPER AND LOWER RIGHT SIDE WINGS WERE DESTROYED, AND THE UPPER AND LOWER LEFT SIDE WINGS HAD RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT REPORTED HIS TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE AS ABOUT 2,000 HOURS, WITH ABOUT 100 HOURS IN MAKE AND MODEL, AND ABOUT 15 HOURS IN THE PRECEDING 90 DAYS. (-23) THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED BY SEVERAL WITNESSES, PERFORMING LOW LEVEL FLIGHT, BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN (HILLS). THE PILOT STATED HE WAS MANEUVERING AT A LOW ALTITUDE WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A GOLF COURSE WHEN HE REALIZED HE COULD NOT CLEAR A TREE AHEAD OF HIM. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TREE AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.