What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On October 8, 2007 at approximately 05:45 hrs (local) the pilot privacy data omitted departed the williams county airport (kmwa) for a personal flight to the Festus memorial airport (kfes). He was scheduled to arrive at approximately 06:15 hrs (local). At approximately 07:30 hrs (local), privacy data omitted located the pilot's privacy data omitted airplane (N43246) in a wooded tree line adjacent to a private roadway. Upon approaching the airplane he observed a pilot still seated in the pilot's seat with extensive injuries and immediately contacted emergency services. The aircraft was resting on a hillside within trees with the nose facing a heading of 175 degrees. Both wings were separated from the airframe and the roof of the airplane had been peeled back apparently from the impact. The right wing was located to the immediate right of the fuselage and had sustained impact damage to its leading edge from the trees. The left wing was located approximately 30 feet to the right of the fuselage facing away from the nose of the aircraft. The right wing had also sustained damage to its leading edge from the impact with the trees. The left fuel tank did not contain any discernable remnants of fuel. The right fuel tank contained visible fuel and was drained by the recovery crew (the amount was determined to be approximately one quart of which 3/4 was fuel and 1/4 tested positive for water). Approximately 1/2 ounce of water was drained from the gascolator. The fuel selector was on the right tank. privacy data omitted (Wife of the pilot) stated that she had accompanied the pilot privacy data omitted on a personal flight to pinkneyville, IL (kpjy) where he topped off both fuel tanks. I confirmed this with the sparta air center which operates the self-fueling facility at pinkneyville. Per the fueling receipts, the pilot privacy data omitted obtained 27.3 gallons. privacy data omitted Advised that the pilot privacy data omitted had taken three additional flights between the time of this refueling and the accident for an unknown amount of time. On October 24, 2007 the pilot privacy data omitted expired apparently as a result of the injuries sustained in this accident. On October 25, 2007 inspectors from the st. louis flight standards district office traveled to the salvage recovery center and met with representatives from Lycoming and Piper aircraft. On this date, the aircraft engine was run on an engine stand and all concerned believed that it produced sufficient power to sustain powered flight.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON OCTOBER 8, 2007 AT APPROXIMATELY 05:45 HRS (LOCAL) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED THE WILLIAMS COUNTY AIRPORT (KMWA) FOR A PERSONAL FLIGHT TO THE FESTUS MEMORIAL AIRPORT (KFES). HE WAS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE AT APPROXIMATELY 06:15 HRS (LOCAL). AT APPROXIMATELY 07:30 HRS (LOCAL), ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LOCATED THE PILOT'S ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRPLANE (N43246) IN A WOODED TREE LINE ADJACENT TO A PRIVATE ROADWAY. UPON APPROACHING THE AIRPLANE HE OBSERVED A PILOT STILL SEATED IN THE PILOT'S SEAT WITH EXTENSIVE INJURIES AND IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED EMERGENCY SERVICES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RESTING ON A HILLSIDE WITHIN TREES WITH THE NOSE FACING A HEADING OF 175 DEGREES. BOTH WINGS WERE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND THE ROOF OF THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN PEELED BACK APPARENTLY FROM THE IMPACT. THE RIGHT WING WAS LOCATED TO THE IMMEDIATE RIGHT OF THE FUSELAGE AND HAD SUSTAINED IMPACT DAMAGE TO ITS LEADING EDGE FROM THE TREES. THE LEFT WING WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET TO THE RIGHT OF THE FUSELAGE FACING AWAY FROM THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE RIGHT WING HAD ALSO SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO ITS LEADING EDGE FROM THE IMPACT WITH THE TREES. THE LEFT FUEL TANK DID NOT CONTAIN ANY DISCERNABLE REMNANTS OF FUEL. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK CONTAINED VISIBLE FUEL AND WAS DRAINED BY THE RECOVERY CREW (THE AMOUNT WAS DETERMINED TO BE APPROXIMATELY ONE QUART OF WHICH 3/4 WAS FUEL AND 1/4 TESTED POSITIVE FOR WATER). APPROXIMATELY 1/2 OUNCE OF WATER WAS DRAINED FROM THE GASCOLATOR. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON THE RIGHT TANK. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (WIFE OF THE PILOT) STATED THAT SHE HAD ACCOMPANIED THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT TO PINKNEYVILLE, IL (KPJY) WHERE HE TOPPED OFF BOTH FUEL TANKS. I CONFIRMED THIS WITH THE SPARTA AIR CENTER WHICH OPERATES THE SELF-FUELING FACILITY AT PINKNEYVILLE. PER THE FUELING RECEIPTS, THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OBTAINED 27.3 GALLONS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ADVISED THAT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD TAKEN THREE ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS BETWEEN THE TIME OF THIS REFUELING AND THE ACCIDENT FOR AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME. ON OCTOBER 24, 2007 THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXPIRED APPARENTLY AS A RESULT OF THE INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THIS ACCIDENT. ON OCTOBER 25, 2007 INSPECTORS FROM THE ST. LOUIS FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE TRAVELED TO THE SALVAGE RECOVERY CENTER AND MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM LYCOMING AND PIPER AIRCRAFT. ON THIS DATE, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS RUN ON AN ENGINE STAND AND ALL CONCERNED BELIEVED THAT IT PRODUCED SUFFICIENT POWER TO SUSTAIN POWERED FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.