What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Prior to FAA certification of the experimental leading edge nieuport biplane that he had been constructing over the last three years, Mr. Ira c. mercer was conducting ground handling tests during taxi. Mr. Mercer reported that he had been gradually increasing the taxi speed both to test maneuverability on the ground and to gain experience handling the aircraft. On the day of this incident, the airplane inadvertently became airborne in ground effect at 44 miles per hour during a taxi test down the runway. No flight was intended for this test, as the aircraft did not yet hold either an airworthiness certificate or a registration certificate. Mr. Mercer reported that he immediately chopped the throttle, and when the aircraft touched down left-wheel-first, he lost control and departed the runway, coming to rest inverted beside the runway. Damage to the aircraft consisted of a broken propeller, a damaged rudder, and a damaged lower wing. Mr. Mercer has consulted with the marketer of the plans for the aircraft and has determined that he had mounted the horizontal stabilizer incorrectly at 5/16 inch rather than 1 1/4 inche to achieve an angle of incidence of 2 to 3 degrees. ^privac^privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PRIOR TO FAA CERTIFICATION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL LEADING EDGE NIEUPORT BIPLANE THAT HE HAD BEEN CONSTRUCTING OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, MR. IRA C. MERCER WAS CONDUCTING GROUND HANDLING TESTS DURING TAXI. MR. MERCER REPORTED THAT HE HAD BEEN GRADUALLY INCREASING THE TAXI SPEED BOTH TO TEST MANEUVERABILITY ON THE GROUND AND TO GAIN EXPERIENCE HANDLING THE AIRCRAFT. ON THE DAY OF THIS INCIDENT, THE AIRPLANE INADVERTENTLY BECAME AIRBORNE IN GROUND EFFECT AT 44 MILES PER HOUR DURING A TAXI TEST DOWN THE RUNWAY. NO FLIGHT WAS INTENDED FOR THIS TEST, AS THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT YET HOLD EITHER AN AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE OR A REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE. MR. MERCER REPORTED THAT HE IMMEDIATELY CHOPPED THE THROTTLE, AND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN LEFT-WHEEL-FIRST, HE LOST CONTROL AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, COMING TO REST INVERTED BESIDE THE RUNWAY. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT CONSISTED OF A BROKEN PROPELLER, A DAMAGED RUDDER, AND A DAMAGED LOWER WING. MR. MERCER HAS CONSULTED WITH THE MARKETER OF THE PLANS FOR THE AIRCRAFT AND HAS DETERMINED THAT HE HAD MOUNTED THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER INCORRECTLY AT 5/16 INCH RATHER THAN 1 1/4 INCHE TO ACHIEVE AN ANGLE OF INCIDENCE OF 2 TO 3 DEGREES. ^PRIVAC^^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^