What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) 07/09/07 Aircraft departed lakeland, FL (lal) at 800, VFR southbound. No flight plan filed. No further contact with ATC after take off. It was reported by a polk county detective that the widow of the pilot speculated that they may have been enroute to pompano, FL on business. Crash occurred at approximately 0810 near Mulberry, FL approximately 15 mi south of lal. The only known witness stated that he heard the aircraft engine or engines running normally then stopped and started again, then began sputtering. Aircraft then started spiraling counter clockwise and flipped wing over wing, then appeared to straighten out and began to spin in a flat attitude. At this point witness stated aircraft disappeared from view and he heard a loud crunching sound. The occupants were fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) 07/09/07 AIRCRAFT DEPARTED LAKELAND, FL (LAL) AT 800, VFR SOUTHBOUND. NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. NO FURTHER CONTACT WITH ATC AFTER TAKE OFF. IT WAS REPORTED BY A POLK COUNTY DETECTIVE THAT THE WIDOW OF THE PILOT SPECULATED THAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN ENROUTE TO POMPANO, FL ON BUSINESS. CRASH OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 0810 NEAR MULBERRY, FL APPROXIMATELY 15 MI SOUTH OF LAL. THE ONLY KNOWN WITNESS STATED THAT HE HEARD THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE OR ENGINES RUNNING NORMALLY THEN STOPPED AND STARTED AGAIN, THEN BEGAN SPUTTERING. AIRCRAFT THEN STARTED SPIRALING COUNTER CLOCKWISE AND FLIPPED WING OVER WING, THEN APPEARED TO STRAIGHTEN OUT AND BEGAN TO SPIN IN A FLAT ATTITUDE. AT THIS POINT WITNESS STATED AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW AND HE HEARD A LOUD CRUNCHING SOUND. THE OCCUPANTS WERE FATALLY INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.