On the morning of July 2, 2003 I visited the post office. Thereafter, my memory is void until things start to fade in sometime around July 25, 2003. However, this is the sequence of events and the story as best it can be re-created... (if you know any details which can be filled in, or made more accurate, please e-mail me)
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How It All Started...
My First Flight of Dragonfly N25JD
(May 13, 2003)
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July 2, 2003 - 9:50 p.m.
I crash "landed" in the Minnesota River Valley due to engine failure immediately after takeoff from runway 18 from Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The Volkswagen-based Revmaster engine on my Dragonfly failed with only a few hundred feet of altitude, leaving me few options and even less time to execute them. With more than 500 feet of altitude I probably could have made it back to the airport, however with less, training teaches to go straight ahead to maximize glide time. One small problem, in my case the Minnesota River was straight ahead, forcing me to turn 90°, losing what little altitude I had even faster. 
(note: Putting an airplane down in a body of water results in a terrible somersault when the gear touches the water, so even if one survives the somersaults, you will most likely drown as the plane settles into the water.) I hurriedly radioed the tower, having time to only say, "I've lost my engine and I'm going down". It was just dusk, so I would have been able to see just enough and attempted to reach and land in a bean field beside the river. However, I lacked sufficient altitude to glide the distance and ended 50 feet from the field in the trees. From the descriptions of family & friends who visited the site, it seems I managed to fly through the treetops maintaining relative control, apparently flew right between two large trees, 
and managed to get within 40 feet of the ground before I clipped a tree or branch solid with my rear wing. Unfortunately the wing was too strong, and instead of simply shearing off, it stopped the airplane abruptly, the momentum causing the entire airplane to rotate about the wing and roll over upside down. The plane fell flat upside down, and me on my head strapped inside it. Though the curved Plexiglas canopy did not break, there was very little headroom, and the impact crushed my neck!
(note: Putting an airplane down in a body of water results in a terrible somersault when the gear touches the water, so even if one survives the somersaults, you will most likely drown as the plane settles into the water.) I hurriedly radioed the tower, having time to only say, "I've lost my engine and I'm going down". It was just dusk, so I would have been able to see just enough and attempted to reach and land in a bean field beside the river. However, I lacked sufficient altitude to glide the distance and ended 50 feet from the field in the trees. From the descriptions of family & friends who visited the site, it seems I managed to fly through the treetops maintaining relative control, apparently flew right between two large trees, and managed to get within 40 feet of the ground before I clipped a tree or branch solid with my rear wing. Unfortunately the wing was too strong, and instead of simply shearing off, it stopped the airplane abruptly, the momentum causing the entire airplane to rotate about the wing and roll over upside down. The plane fell flat upside down, and me on my head strapped inside it. Though the curved Plexiglas canopy did not break, there was very little headroom, and the impact crushed my neck! July 2, 2003 - 10:00 p.m.
Late Breaking News! (Read It) Local news stations began announcing there had been a plane crash at Flying Cloud Airport in their previews for the news broadcast. (Watch the Video) More information to come as it was available. My family heard this announcement and try to contact me my cell phone. They only received my voice mail so contacted my friend Scott to see if he knew where I was, which he did not. They went to bed hoping that it wasn't me and I had not been to the airport that evening.
July 2, 2003 - 10:35 p.m.
Crash site was located by helicopter using an infrared sensor and first paramedic was dropped in from the helicopter. I was hanging upside down in the airplane, trapped, with fuel running down the back of my legs. He was unable to help me without more assistance. While I was hovering in and out of consciousness, I managed to tell him that I could not feel or move my hands nor legs. Withmy background as a Red Cross Lifeguard, I expect I must've had a pretty good idea what might have happened.
July 2, 2003 - 11:15 p.m.
After being extracted from the aircraft wreckage and stabilized I was loaded on a helicopter for transport. Meanwhile Scott decided to drive to the airport to look for me. When he found my truck by my hangar and neither me nor my airplane anywhere to be seen, he became very worried and called the airport tower for information. They, of course would not release my name, but he managed to find out that I had been transported to HCMC, and immediately headed that way after picking up Jill.
July 2, 2003 - 11:30 p.m.
Arrived at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) in South Minneapolis. I gave the doctors or paramedics my parents phone number who were immediately contacted and awoke to the bad news. Minutes later, Scott and Jill contacted my parents and told them they were on their way to HCMC.
more to come...
Current Condition Description
I am a C-5 level quadriplegic, paralyzed with no function or feeling below my armpits. I can move and fortunately have some use of my arms through the shoulders and biceps when I'm sitting up, however I have no feeling or movement in my wrists or hands and very limited strength. My spinal injury was diagnosed incomplete, which means it was not severed. this means, over time, as the swelling goes down on the spine one has a chance for return of function. unfortunately, in my case I have not experienced any return of function. Instead, I have been left with perpetual "nerve pain", the negative side to being incomplete. Basically it can best be described as a constant, unpleasant tingling and burning sensation in my fingers and toes, accompanied by electrical-like "zings", though in reality I do not feel anything in either location.