Pilot-Builder Killed In Express Crash

Larry Olsen, a 58-year old Vietnam veteran and the guiding light behind the latest rebirth of the Express Aircraft kit program, was just passing through. He was on his way from Olympia (WA) to Oshkosh for AirVenture 2003, flying his Express (pictures shown below). He knew that aircraft better than anyone. He built it.

At about 4:30pm, Olsen, fresh from a pit stop at Aberdeen (SD), took off again, pointed toward OSH. Transportation Director Dave Osborne says, "The plane had just taken off, left the airport, was banking and then notified people that he was in trouble."

Olsen died in the crash and resulting fire. Federal investigators are in Aberdeen now, trying to develop a cause for the incident.

Larry Olsen, veteran pilot, aircraft builder has gone West. Happy Trails, Larry.

The FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 512EA        Make/Model: EXP      Description: EXP-
  Date: 07/27/2003     Time: 2115

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: ABERDEEN   State: SD   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
ACFT DEPARTED AND WENT INTO A RIGHT BANKING TURN AND CRASHED INTO A PARKING LOT, ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, ABERDEEN, SD

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:    0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:          Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: METAR KABR 272153Z AUTO 35008KT 10SM CLR 23/16 A3017 RMK A02 SLP 214

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Take-off      Operation: General Aviation

  Departed: ABERDEEN, SD                Dep Date: 07/27/2003   Dep. Time: 2115
  Destination: UNK                      Flt Plan: UNK          Wx Briefing: U
  Last Radio Cont: NONE
  Last Clearance: NONE

  FAA FSDO: RAPID CITY, SD  (GL27)                Entry date: 07/28/2003

FMI: www.aberdeen.sd.us/airport/airport.html