What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 7, 2001, about 1700 central daylight time, a champion 7AC/BCM, N82049, registered to and operated by champion flyers flying club, inc., as a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, crashed while maneuvering in the vicinity of Woodstock, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed by postcrash fire, and the private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The flight departed bessemer, Alabama, about 15 minutes before the accident. According to family members of the pilot, who had directed their attention skyward following a low pass over their respective rural residences, they saw the aircraft execute two 360-degree tight turns at about 60 to 80 feet AGL, over the pilot's mother's backyard. Following a noise characterized as a "pop" as in an engine backfire, the aircraft nosed over and impacted the backyard in a steep vertical attitude. (-23) on Sunday, October 7, 2001, an Aeronca champ, N82049, piloted by jerry morgan sansing departed the bessemer airport (eky) at approximately 4:45 pm for VFR flight. At approximately 5:12 pm the same aircraft was observed by family members making two to three tight circles above the home of the victim's mothers house in Woodstock, AL. The aircraft was just above the tre top level at this time and suddenly plunged into a straight downward attitude dive and impacted the ground nose first. The aircraft burst immediately into flames, which engulfed the fabric airplane instantaneously. Airman's pilot logs were destroyed on scene.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 7, 2001, ABOUT 1700 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CHAMPION 7AC/BCM, N82049, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY CHAMPION FLYERS FLYING CLUB, INC., AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED WHILE MANEUVERING IN THE VICINITY OF WOODSTOCK, ALABAMA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY POSTCRASH FIRE, AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED BESSEMER, ALABAMA, ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE PILOT, WHO HAD DIRECTED THEIR ATTENTION SKYWARD FOLLOWING A LOW PASS OVER THEIR RESPECTIVE RURAL RESIDENCES, THEY SAW THE AIRCRAFT EXECUTE TWO 360-DEGREE TIGHT TURNS AT ABOUT 60 TO 80 FEET AGL, OVER THE PILOT'S MOTHER'S BACKYARD. FOLLOWING A NOISE CHARACTERIZED AS A "POP" AS IN AN ENGINE BACKFIRE, THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AND IMPACTED THE BACKYARD IN A STEEP VERTICAL ATTITUDE. (-23) ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2001, AN AERONCA CHAMP, N82049, PILOTED BY JERRY MORGAN SANSING DEPARTED THE BESSEMER AIRPORT (EKY) AT APPROXIMATELY 4:45 PM FOR VFR FLIGHT. AT APPROXIMATELY 5:12 PM THE SAME AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED BY FAMILY MEMBERS MAKING TWO TO THREE TIGHT CIRCLES ABOVE THE HOME OF THE VICTIM'S MOTHERS HOUSE IN WOODSTOCK, AL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS JUST ABOVE THE TRE TOP LEVEL AT THIS TIME AND SUDDENLY PLUNGED INTO A STRAIGHT DOWNWARD ATTITUDE DIVE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND NOSE FIRST. THE AIRCRAFT BURST IMMEDIATELY INTO FLAMES, WHICH ENGULFED THE FABRIC AIRPLANE INSTANTANEOUSLY. AIRMAN'S PILOT LOGS WERE DESTROYED ON SCENE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.