What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Flying unregistered homebuilt. No checkout. New purchase. Test flight. Hit trees. See other information block 32 of 8020-23 and attachments. (.4)on may 3, 1998, about 0800 eastern daylight time a challenger ii, homebuilt, unregistered airplane, was located after it collided with the ground near the Savannah river in Savannah, Georgia. According to the FAA, there were no witnesses to the accident. The previous owner stated that the pilot had just purchased the airplane that week and was taking it for a test flight. The pilot had no previous experience with this type of airplane. The pilot departed the area and was not heard from again. The pilot's medical certificate was not current at the time of the accident and the pilot's logbook was not recovered. His last reported flight time on his medical certificate was 2400 total civilian hours. Examination of the airplane by the FAA found it destroyed and the aircraft logbooks were not recovered.
As the FAA filed it
FLYING UNREGISTERED HOMEBUILT. NO CHECKOUT. NEW PURCHASE. TEST FLIGHT. HIT TREES. SEE OTHER INFORMATION BLOCK 32 OF 8020-23 AND ATTACHMENTS. (.4)ON MAY 3, 1998, ABOUT 0800 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME A CHALLENGER II, HOMEBUILT, UNREGISTERED AIRPLANE, WAS LOCATED AFTER IT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND NEAR THE SAVANNAH RIVER IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA. ACCORDING TO THE FAA, THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PREVIOUS OWNER STATED THAT THE PILOT HAD JUST PURCHASED THE AIRPLANE THAT WEEK AND WAS TAKING IT FOR A TEST FLIGHT. THE PILOT HAD NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH THIS TYPE OF AIRPLANE. THE PILOT DEPARTED THE AREA AND WAS NOT HEARD FROM AGAIN. THE PILOT'S MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS NOT CURRENT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK WAS NOT RECOVERED. HIS LAST REPORTED FLIGHT TIME ON HIS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS 2400 TOTAL CIVILIAN HOURS. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY THE FAA FOUND IT DESTROYED AND THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS WERE NOT RECOVERED.