What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On June 30, 2006, at approximately 1930 hour, the pilot of a terkeurst MU582 Drifter on a personal flight hit a tree 3/4 mile northwest of the Sylvania Airport. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the pilot and passenger were uninjured. The purpose of the flight was to locate the passenger's lost parachute bag. The aircraft departed the Sylvania Airport and was to return there. The pilot, while circling a wooded area looking for the passenger's parachute bag, lost his awareness of altitude and struck a tree. The NTSB was contacted and declined the invitation to participate due to the fact that the aircraft was not registered and the pilot was not certificated. This aircraft should have been operated as an experiment aircraft as it is placarded, thus requiring a certificated pilot to operate and the aircraft registered.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JUNE 30, 2006, AT APPROXIMATELY 1930 HOUR, THE PILOT OF A TERKEURST MU582 DRIFTER ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT HIT A TREE 3/4 MILE NORTHWEST OF THE SYLVANIA AIRPORT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO LOCATE THE PASSENGER'S LOST PARACHUTE BAG. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE SYLVANIA AIRPORT AND WAS TO RETURN THERE. THE PILOT, WHILE CIRCLING A WOODED AREA LOOKING FOR THE PASSENGER'S PARACHUTE BAG, LOST HIS AWARENESS OF ALTITUDE AND STRUCK A TREE. THE NTSB WAS CONTACTED AND DECLINED THE INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT REGISTERED AND THE PILOT WAS NOT CERTIFICATED. THIS AIRCRAFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OPERATED AS AN EXPERIMENT AIRCRAFT AS IT IS PLACARDED, THUS REQUIRING A CERTIFICATED PILOT TO OPERATE AND THE AIRCRAFT REGISTERED.