What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Preliminary information: on October 3, 2007, at about 1735, after takeoff from rwy 5 at cpk, in VMC, an airborne witness observed the aircraft takeoff and soon thereafter heard the pilot of N8VE report downwind, then base, and then a few seconds later the witness heard a panicked transmission. According to witnesses, for reasons unknown, the aircraft on the base leg turned left approximately 180 degrees toward the west at a very low altitude. The left wing struck a wire fence bordering the highway and the aircraft crashed onto the eastern embankment of us highway 17, at the 7 mile marker in an attitude approximately parallel to the bank. After the initial impact, the aircraft continued across the highway leaving the left wing in the median strip and the remainder of the aircraft on the west side of the road. At some point, accident forces ejected the pilot from the aircraft to just beyond the west bank border fence. The pilot died. There was no fire.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PRELIMINARY INFORMATION: ON OCTOBER 3, 2007, AT ABOUT 1735, AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RWY 5 AT CPK, IN VMC, AN AIRBORNE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT TAKEOFF AND SOON THEREAFTER HEARD THE PILOT OF N8VE REPORT DOWNWIND, THEN BASE, AND THEN A FEW SECONDS LATER THE WITNESS HEARD A PANICKED TRANSMISSION. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, FOR REASONS UNKNOWN, THE AIRCRAFT ON THE BASE LEG TURNED LEFT APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES TOWARD THE WEST AT A VERY LOW ALTITUDE. THE LEFT WING STRUCK A WIRE FENCE BORDERING THE HIGHWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ONTO THE EASTERN EMBANKMENT OF US HIGHWAY 17, AT THE 7 MILE MARKER IN AN ATTITUDE APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL TO THE BANK. AFTER THE INITIAL IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ACROSS THE HIGHWAY LEAVING THE LEFT WING IN THE MEDIAN STRIP AND THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRCRAFT ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE ROAD. AT SOME POINT, ACCIDENT FORCES EJECTED THE PILOT FROM THE AIRCRAFT TO JUST BEYOND THE WEST BANK BORDER FENCE. THE PILOT DIED. THERE WAS NO FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.