What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The date below was compiled from witness statements, and an on-scene investigation conducted by personnel from the allegheny flight standards district office, AEA-03. On September 23, 2001, at approximately 17:45 p.m., Mr. David shimeck, a certificated pilot, was acting as pilot-in-command and sole occupant of a two place ultralight experimental aircraft. The aircraft was not registered, and it did not have an airworthiness certificate. The pilot had a current medical and a suspended pilot certificate. An interview was conducted with Mr. Scott phillips on September 24, 2001, a helicopter pilot for stat medivac. Mr. Phillips was cleaning his helicopter and witnessed numerous flights on runway 23 and the last flight on runway 14. Mr. Phillips indicated that at approximately 1740-1742 hours the ultralight was in a 30-40 degree nose high left wing down attitude at 100-150 foot altitude descending. Mr. Phillips then heard the crash and called 911 and his dispatch. He then flew the stat medivac helicopter to the scene, arriving at 1748 hours. The fayette EMS located at the Connellsville Airport were the first at the scene and extricated Mr. Shimeck who was unresponsive. An on-sceneinvestigation was conducted by inspector henry vejlstrup and myself on September 24, 2001. The ultralight aircraft showed signs of a hard vertical impact with the ground. In the close proximity were four one gallon milk bottles and elastic hold down cords. In a telephone interview with Mr. Peter m. burgdorfer a co-owner with Mr. Shimeck of another aircraft, Mr. Burgdorfer indicated Mr. Shimeck traveled to Florida, rented a u-haul and returned with the ultralight, assembled it and was test flying it when the crash occurred. Mr. Shimeck indicated he was having center of gravity concerns with the ultralight being tail heavy and he added ballast to the nose, the four one gallon milk bottles mentioned above.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE DATE BELOW WAS COMPILED FROM WITNESS STATEMENTS, AND AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED BY PERSONNEL FROM THE ALLEGHENY FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE, AEA-03. ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2001, AT APPROXIMATELY 17:45 P.M., MR. DAVID SHIMECK, A CERTIFICATED PILOT, WAS ACTING AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF A TWO PLACE ULTRALIGHT EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT REGISTERED, AND IT DID NOT HAVE AN AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE. THE PILOT HAD A CURRENT MEDICAL AND A SUSPENDED PILOT CERTIFICATE. AN INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED WITH MR. SCOTT PHILLIPS ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2001, A HELICOPTER PILOT FOR STAT MEDIVAC. MR. PHILLIPS WAS CLEANING HIS HELICOPTER AND WITNESSED NUMEROUS FLIGHTS ON RUNWAY 23 AND THE LAST FLIGHT ON RUNWAY 14. MR. PHILLIPS INDICATED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 1740-1742 HOURS THE ULTRALIGHT WAS IN A 30-40 DEGREE NOSE HIGH LEFT WING DOWN ATTITUDE AT 100-150 FOOT ALTITUDE DESCENDING. MR. PHILLIPS THEN HEARD THE CRASH AND CALLED 911 AND HIS DISPATCH. HE THEN FLEW THE STAT MEDIVAC HELICOPTER TO THE SCENE, ARRIVING AT 1748 HOURS. THE FAYETTE EMS LOCATED AT THE CONNELLSVILLE AIRPORT WERE THE FIRST AT THE SCENE AND EXTRICATED MR. SHIMECK WHO WAS UNRESPONSIVE. AN ON-SCENEINVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED BY INSPECTOR HENRY VEJLSTRUP AND MYSELF ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2001. THE ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT SHOWED SIGNS OF A HARD VERTICAL IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. IN THE CLOSE PROXIMITY WERE FOUR ONE GALLON MILK BOTTLES AND ELASTIC HOLD DOWN CORDS. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH MR. PETER M. BURGDORFER A CO-OWNER WITH MR. SHIMECK OF ANOTHER AIRCRAFT, MR. BURGDORFER INDICATED MR. SHIMECK TRAVELED TO FLORIDA, RENTED A U-HAUL AND RETURNED WITH THE ULTRALIGHT, ASSEMBLED IT AND WAS TEST FLYING IT WHEN THE CRASH OCCURRED. MR. SHIMECK INDICATED HE WAS HAVING CENTER OF GRAVITY CONCERNS WITH THE ULTRALIGHT BEING TAIL HEAVY AND HE ADDED BALLAST TO THE NOSE, THE FOUR ONE GALLON MILK BOTTLES MENTIONED ABOVE.