What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On jan 22, 2002, an accident occurred involving N97CS, an amateur built rotorcraft (Choctaw) mms 05628QW. The single occupant/pilot, casey stiles, certificate number 440702750 was fatally injured. The weather conditions at the time were VMC. The pilot has received a weather from fss. The flight was for personal pleasure. No flight plan was filed. According to an on the scene witness from off duty KY state policeman, privacy data omitted reported that he observed a yellow gyrocopter takeoff from the Danville KY airport, dvk.privacy data omitted Indicated that he observed gray smoke trailing from the aircraft. Then the aircraft appeared to head back to the airport. Trooper ^priva^ indicated that the smoke appeared to clear at which time he went on about his business. Trooper ^priva^ learned later that the aircraft had subsequently crashed at approximately the same time as his observation.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JAN 22, 2002, AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED INVOLVING N97CS, AN AMATEUR BUILT ROTORCRAFT (CHOCTAW) MMS 05628QW. THE SINGLE OCCUPANT/PILOT, CASEY STILES, CERTIFICATE NUMBER 440702750 WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE VMC. THE PILOT HAS RECEIVED A WEATHER FROM FSS. THE FLIGHT WAS FOR PERSONAL PLEASURE. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. ACCORDING TO AN ON THE SCENE WITNESS FROM OFF DUTY KY STATE POLICEMAN, ^PRIVACY DATA^ REPORTED THAT HE OBSERVED A YELLOW GYROCOPTER TAKEOFF FROM THE DANVILLE KY AIRPORT, DVK.^PRIVACY D^ INDICATED THAT HE OBSERVED GRAY SMOKE TRAILING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THEN THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HEAD BACK TO THE AIRPORT. TROOPER ^PRIVA^ INDICATED THAT THE SMOKE APPEARED TO CLEAR AT WHICH TIME HE WENT ON ABOUT HIS BUSINESS. TROOPER ^PRIVA^ LEARNED LATER THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME TIME AS HIS OBSERVATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.