What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed under unknown circumstances and was destroyed, pilot suffered fatal inj. (.19) on October 3, 1998, about 1300 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt super cat, N132TF, was destroyed when it collided with trees in middlebury, Connecticut, after takeoff from Waterbury-Oxford Airport (oxc), Oxford, Connecticut. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed for the local flight, conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector, the active runway at the time of the accident was runway 36. The pilot's remains were found in a field, about 1 mile north of the airport, on a bearing of 334 degrees magnetic. The airplane's wreckage was located the next day in some woods, approximately 845 feet north of the pilot's position, and on the same bearing from the airport. The airplane's wreckage path was 75 feet in length, along a 335 degrees magnetic heading. Trees were found cut at a descending 45 degree angle. Inspection of the wreckage revealed that the wooden propeller was shattered, with maximum piece lengths of about 2 feet. The leading edges of some pieces exhibited cuts and gouges, and green discoloration. Many tree cuts were clean, with some cut diagonally. There was a strong odor of fuel, and all control surfaces were found at the site. The airplane's hobbs meter showed 0.3 hours since the last entries in the pilot and aircraft logbooks. The shoulder harness, seat belts and buckles were inspected, and found intact and unfastened. There was no sign of belt stretching, fatigue or overload, nor any scratch marks on the metal buckles or attaching hardware. The FAA inspector stated that when she buckled the seat belts, there was little slack between the seat belt straps and the seat, but not enough to be able to secure a person in the seat. According to a witness very familiar with the pilot, the pilot flew many times without his seat belt and shoulder harness fastened. (-23) airman (PIC, owner, builder), eugene f. foreit departed oxc at approx. 1230L. Individual walking her dog on foot pathe nw of oxc approx. 1 mile, notified police at 1554 of a body. Police noticed skip marks and impression on ground at location of body. Upon investigating personal effects, polic e discovered pilot certificate, etc. Police discovered Mr. Foreit's van a t airport, missing, pilot overdue for grandchild's birthday party. A search for aircraft was initiated, found 850 feet nw of site of body.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AND WAS DESTROYED, PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJ. (.19) ON OCTOBER 3, 1998, ABOUT 1300 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT SUPER CAT, N132TF, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TREES IN MIDDLEBURY, CONNECTICUT, AFTER TAKEOFF FROM WATERBURY-OXFORD AIRPORT (OXC), OXFORD, CONNECTICUT. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT, CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, THE ACTIVE RUNWAY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS RUNWAY 36. THE PILOT'S REMAINS WERE FOUND IN A FIELD, ABOUT 1 MILE NORTH OF THE AIRPORT, ON A BEARING OF 334 DEGREES MAGNETIC. THE AIRPLANE'S WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED THE NEXT DAY IN SOME WOODS, APPROXIMATELY 845 FEET NORTH OF THE PILOT'S POSITION, AND ON THE SAME BEARING FROM THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE'S WRECKAGE PATH WAS 75 FEET IN LENGTH, ALONG A 335 DEGREES MAGNETIC HEADING. TREES WERE FOUND CUT AT A DESCENDING 45 DEGREE ANGLE. INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE WOODEN PROPELLER WAS SHATTERED, WITH MAXIMUM PIECE LENGTHS OF ABOUT 2 FEET. THE LEADING EDGES OF SOME PIECES EXHIBITED CUTS AND GOUGES, AND GREEN DISCOLORATION. MANY TREE CUTS WERE CLEAN, WITH SOME CUT DIAGONALLY. THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL, AND ALL CONTROL SURFACES WERE FOUND AT THE SITE. THE AIRPLANE'S HOBBS METER SHOWED 0.3 HOURS SINCE THE LAST ENTRIES IN THE PILOT AND AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS. THE SHOULDER HARNESS, SEAT BELTS AND BUCKLES WERE INSPECTED, AND FOUND INTACT AND UNFASTENED. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF BELT STRETCHING, FATIGUE OR OVERLOAD, NOR ANY SCRATCH MARKS ON THE METAL BUCKLES OR ATTACHING HARDWARE. THE FAA INSPECTOR STATED THAT WHEN SHE BUCKLED THE SEAT BELTS, THERE WAS LITTLE SLACK BETWEEN THE SEAT BELT STRAPS AND THE SEAT, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO SECURE A PERSON IN THE SEAT. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PILOT, THE PILOT FLEW MANY TIMES WITHOUT HIS SEAT BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS FASTENED. (-23) AIRMAN (PIC, OWNER, BUILDER), EUGENE F. FOREIT DEPARTED OXC AT APPROX. 1230L. INDIVIDUAL WALKING HER DOG ON FOOT PATHE NW OF OXC APPROX. 1 MILE, NOTIFIED POLICE AT 1554 OF A BODY. POLICE NOTICED SKIP MARKS AND IMPRESSION ON GROUND AT LOCATION OF BODY. UPON INVESTIGATING PERSONAL EFFECTS, POLIC E DISCOVERED PILOT CERTIFICATE, ETC. POLICE DISCOVERED MR. FOREIT'S VAN A T AIRPORT, MISSING, PILOT OVERDUE FOR GRANDCHILD'S BIRTHDAY PARTY. A SEARCH FOR AIRCRAFT WAS INITIATED, FOUND 850 FEET NW OF SITE OF BODY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.