What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed und unk circ in wooded area, pilot suffered fatal inj. Acft was destroyed boxborough, MA. (.4) after departure, a witness observed the Cessna 172 at a low altitude with the nose bobbing up and down. Another witness saw the airplane in a left turn and heard a power reduction. The airplane then dove into a wooded area. A post-crash fire consumed the cockpit and wings. The investigation found no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction with the engine or airframe. Witnesses reported frost on the wings of airplanes in the area at the time of the accident. Examination of the outside tie down where the airplane had been secured revealed no evidence that the tops of the wings had been examined or de-iced. (-23) aircraft may have departed with frost on upper surfaces. Unable to climb, crashed about a mile from airport.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UND UNK CIRC IN WOODED AREA, PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJ. ACFT WAS DESTROYED BOXBOROUGH, MA. (.4) AFTER DEPARTURE, A WITNESS OBSERVED THE CESSNA 172 AT A LOW ALTITUDE WITH THE NOSE BOBBING UP AND DOWN. ANOTHER WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE IN A LEFT TURN AND HEARD A POWER REDUCTION. THE AIRPLANE THEN DOVE INTO A WOODED AREA. A POST-CRASH FIRE CONSUMED THE COCKPIT AND WINGS. THE INVESTIGATION FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WITH THE ENGINE OR AIRFRAME. WITNESSES REPORTED FROST ON THE WINGS OF AIRPLANES IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE OUTSIDE TIE DOWN WHERE THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN SECURED REVEALED NO EVIDENCE THAT THE TOPS OF THE WINGS HAD BEEN EXAMINED OR DE-ICED. (-23) AIRCRAFT MAY HAVE DEPARTED WITH FROST ON UPPER SURFACES. UNABLE TO CLIMB, CRASHED ABOUT A MILE FROM AIRPORT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.