What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On December 20, 2002, at 1315 central standard time, a creekmore team rocket F-1 experimental homebuilt single-engine airplane, was destroyed when it impacted terrain following the in-flight separation of the vertical stabilizer near Rosenberg, Texas. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. The commercial pilot, sole occupant, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The local flight originated from sugar land, Texas, at 1200. Preliminary information indicates that the pilot reported to the sugar land air traffic control tower (ATCT) that he was 20 miles west of sugar land inbound for landing. Sugar land ATCT had no further communications with the pilot. Witnesses reported observing the airplane in a near vertical descent as it disappeared from their view. After the airplane descended from view, the witnesses observed a piece(s) of the airplane "fluttering down." The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported finding the vertical stabilizer approximately one half mile from where the airplane impacted the ground. (-23) shortly after pilot radioed intentions to land at (sgr) and commenced descent toward (sgr) airport, vertical stabilizer separated from aircraft. "Ntap" information provided by houston ARTCC q and a shows aircraft descent rate reaching 6000 feet per minute from 3100 feet MSL to 2100 feet MSL whereupon no further descent rate information was available. Aircraft impacted in near vertical descent at approx. 29.32N/95.55W. Eyewitnesses (2) both indicated the aircraft was not turning in the descent. Vertical stabilizer landed approx. 5 mile west of the impact site. Damage to vertical stabilizer was relatively minor with one "strike" mark 7 inches long x 1/5 inches wide at the aft vertical spar/rudder attach surface and angling toward the lower forward leading edge of the stabilizer. Mark commences 5.5 inches below rudder horn cutout and ends 11.5 inches below same cutout. Aft vertical spar/rudder attach surface separated 12.5 inches below the top of the spar and 6.5 inches below the top rudder attach hinge centerline. Cause of "strike" mark uncertain but width of mark on the vertical stabilizer matches the width of the steel rudder hinge bracket(s). Rudder and separated section of remaining rear vertical stabilizer spar which is a part of the rudder attach point was found still attached to the aircraft empennage at the impact site. The rudder cables were severed but firefighters attested to having cut some cables to effect removal of wreckage to gain access to the pilot's body. It is apparent that the rudder cables were the primary reason the rudder remained attached to the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON DECEMBER 20, 2002, AT 1315 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CREEKMORE TEAM ROCKET F-1 EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN FOLLOWING THE IN-FLIGHT SEPARATION OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER NEAR ROSENBERG, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM SUGAR LAND, TEXAS, AT 1200. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATES THAT THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE SUGAR LAND AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER (ATCT) THAT HE WAS 20 MILES WEST OF SUGAR LAND INBOUND FOR LANDING. SUGAR LAND ATCT HAD NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PILOT. WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRPLANE IN A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT AS IT DISAPPEARED FROM THEIR VIEW. AFTER THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED FROM VIEW, THE WITNESSES OBSERVED A PIECE(S) OF THE AIRPLANE "FLUTTERING DOWN." THE FAA INSPECTOR, WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED FINDING THE VERTICAL STABILIZER APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF MILE FROM WHERE THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND. (-23) SHORTLY AFTER PILOT RADIOED INTENTIONS TO LAND AT (SGR) AND COMMENCED DESCENT TOWARD (SGR) AIRPORT, VERTICAL STABILIZER SEPARATED FROM AIRCRAFT. "NTAP" INFORMATION PROVIDED BY HOUSTON ARTCC Q AND A SHOWS AIRCRAFT DESCENT RATE REACHING 6000 FEET PER MINUTE FROM 3100 FEET MSL TO 2100 FEET MSL WHEREUPON NO FURTHER DESCENT RATE INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT AT APPROX. 29.32N/95.55W. EYEWITNESSES (2) BOTH INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT TURNING IN THE DESCENT. VERTICAL STABILIZER LANDED APPROX. 5 MILE WEST OF THE IMPACT SITE. DAMAGE TO VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS RELATIVELY MINOR WITH ONE "STRIKE" MARK 7 INCHES LONG X 1/5 INCHES WIDE AT THE AFT VERTICAL SPAR/RUDDER ATTACH SURFACE AND ANGLING TOWARD THE LOWER FORWARD LEADING EDGE OF THE STABILIZER. MARK COMMENCES 5.5 INCHES BELOW RUDDER HORN CUTOUT AND ENDS 11.5 INCHES BELOW SAME CUTOUT. AFT VERTICAL SPAR/RUDDER ATTACH SURFACE SEPARATED 12.5 INCHES BELOW THE TOP OF THE SPAR AND 6.5 INCHES BELOW THE TOP RUDDER ATTACH HINGE CENTERLINE. CAUSE OF "STRIKE" MARK UNCERTAIN BUT WIDTH OF MARK ON THE VERTICAL STABILIZER MATCHES THE WIDTH OF THE STEEL RUDDER HINGE BRACKET(S). RUDDER AND SEPARATED SECTION OF REMAINING REAR VERTICAL STABILIZER SPAR WHICH IS A PART OF THE RUDDER ATTACH POINT WAS FOUND STILL ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT EMPENNAGE AT THE IMPACT SITE. THE RUDDER CABLES WERE SEVERED BUT FIREFIGHTERS ATTESTED TO HAVING CUT SOME CABLES TO EFFECT REMOVAL OF WRECKAGE TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE PILOT'S BODY. IT IS APPARENT THAT THE RUDDER CABLES WERE THE PRIMARY REASON THE RUDDER REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.