What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The VFR aircraft departed an unimproved airstrip at night in fog and low overcast. The airstrip owner and primary witness, followed the aircraft with his truck to provide lighting for the take-off. The witness stated the aircraft navigation lights disappeared into the overcast within seconds after take-off. The witness could hear the aircraft running at a high rate of RPM just before hearing a loud ?crack?. The aircraft impacted the ground at the top of a hill ¼ mile from the departure point. The debris field indicated the aircraft had struck a fence post with the right wing in a near 90 degree bank angle. The right side fuselage struck the ground and the aircraft cartwheeled. The pilot and sole occupant was fatally injured. The aircraft was destroyed. Weather at the time of departure was estimated to be 200 feet overcast in fog and light drizzle.
As the FAA filed it
THE VFR AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AN UNIMPROVED AIRSTRIP AT NIGHT IN FOG AND LOW OVERCAST. THE AIRSTRIP OWNER AND PRIMARY WITNESS, FOLLOWED THE AIRCRAFT WITH HIS TRUCK TO PROVIDE LIGHTING FOR THE TAKE-OFF. THE WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT NAVIGATION LIGHTS DISAPPEARED INTO THE OVERCAST WITHIN SECONDS AFTER TAKE-OFF. THE WITNESS COULD HEAR THE AIRCRAFT RUNNING AT A HIGH RATE OF RPM JUST BEFORE HEARING A LOUD ?CRACK?. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT THE TOP OF A HILL ¼ MILE FROM THE DEPARTURE POINT. THE DEBRIS FIELD INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT HAD STRUCK A FENCE POST WITH THE RIGHT WING IN A NEAR 90 DEGREE BANK ANGLE. THE RIGHT SIDE FUSELAGE STRUCK THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT CARTWHEELED. THE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. WEATHER AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 200 FEET OVERCAST IN FOG AND LIGHT DRIZZLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.