What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 19, 2010, at 2045 central daylight time, a charles w millerrans RV-7A, collided with heavily wooded terrain shortly after take off from the south Arkansas regional airport (eld), eldorado, Arkansas. The private pilot/registered owner was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 code of federal regulations part 91.the pilot purchased 14.5 gallons of fuel at the airport around 1700 andwaited for thunderstorms to pass through the area before he departed. A witness located at the airport observed the airplane depart runway 31 around 2045 and climb to an approximate altitude of 300-400 feet before it entered a "normal" turn to the west. He did not observe anything abnormal with the airplane. The airplane was reported overdue and an alnot was issued. Search and rescue crews found the airplane on August 23, 2010, approximately 500 feet off the end of runway 31 in heavily wooded terrain. The airplane collided with the tip of one tree then made a sharp descent. The side of the fuselage collided with another tree and was partially wrapped around the tree. The engine separated from the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 19, 2010, AT 2045 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CHARLES W MILLERRANS RV-7A, COLLIDED WITH HEAVILY WOODED TERRAIN SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF FROM THE SOUTH ARKANSAS REGIONAL AIRPORT (ELD), ELDORADO, ARKANSAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT/REGISTERED OWNER WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.THE PILOT PURCHASED 14.5 GALLONS OF FUEL AT THE AIRPORT AROUND 1700 ANDWAITED FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO PASS THROUGH THE AREA BEFORE HE DEPARTED. A WITNESS LOCATED AT THE AIRPORT OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DEPART RUNWAY 31 AROUND 2045 AND CLIMB TO AN APPROXIMATE ALTITUDE OF 300-400 FEET BEFORE IT ENTERED A "NORMAL" TURN TO THE WEST. HE DID NOT OBSERVE ANYTHING ABNORMAL WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE WAS REPORTED OVERDUE AND AN ALNOT WAS ISSUED. SEARCH AND RESCUE CREWS FOUND THE AIRPLANE ON AUGUST 23, 2010, APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET OFF THE END OF RUNWAY 31 IN HEAVILY WOODED TERRAIN.THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE TIP OF ONE TREE THEN MADE A SHARP DESCENT. THE SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER TREE AND WAS PARTIALLY WRAPPED AROUND THE TREE. THE ENGINE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.