What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed under unknown circ on takeoff, all 3 POB suffered fatal inj, acft was destroyed by fire. Vernon, TX. (-23) on 16 may, 1998, the fort worth flight standards district office (afw FSDO) was notified at approximately 0930 local time of an aircraft accident located approximately four miles east of Vernon, Texas. Witnesses stated that after a long engine run-up the aircraft took off in an eastern direction. Another witness stated after takeoff the left engine seemed to develop some type of problem. Approximately 60 seconds after takeoff, the aircraft banked hard to the left (east) maintaining a height of 150 to 300 feet at a speed of about 100 mph. The aircraft then traveled east along Texas state highway 283 for approximately one mile then turned hard to the left (west) again when the aircraft plunged almost 90 degrees into the center of Texas state highway 283 and burst into flames. The investigation revealed the right wing and right engine struck the highway first, causing the aircraft to cartwheel into a nearby field in an upright position with the landing gear in the down position. The tail of the aircraft swung over the cockpit. The left engine propeller was feathered. This was determined by the position of the propeller blades; also, the cockpit controls showed the left hand propeller position lever was in the down or full feather position. Both engines were found to be in the maximum throttle position, fuel mixture was in the rich position and the right propeller position lever was in the forward position. The impact site indicated the right engine propeller was developing power. This was determined by the twist marks on the prop and cockpit levers position. At the time of takeoff the aircraft was full of fuel (approx. 228 us gallons). All three people were fatally injured.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRC ON TAKEOFF, ALL 3 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. VERNON, TX. (-23) ON 16 MAY, 1998, THE FORT WORTH FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (AFW FSDO) WAS NOTIFIED AT APPROXIMATELY 0930 LOCAL TIME OF AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT LOCATED APPROXIMATELY FOUR MILES EAST OF VERNON, TEXAS. WITNESSES STATED THAT AFTER A LONG ENGINE RUN-UP THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF IN AN EASTERN DIRECTION. ANOTHER WITNESS STATED AFTER TAKEOFF THE LEFT ENGINE SEEMED TO DEVELOP SOME TYPE OF PROBLEM. APPROXIMATELY 60 SECONDS AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT BANKED HARD TO THE LEFT (EAST) MAINTAINING A HEIGHT OF 150 TO 300 FEET AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 100 MPH. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TRAVELED EAST ALONG TEXAS STATE HIGHWAY 283 FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE THEN TURNED HARD TO THE LEFT (WEST) AGAIN WHEN THE AIRCRAFT PLUNGED ALMOST 90 DEGREES INTO THE CENTER OF TEXAS STATE HIGHWAY 283 AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE RIGHT WING AND RIGHT ENGINE STRUCK THE HIGHWAY FIRST, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO CARTWHEEL INTO A NEARBY FIELD IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT SWUNG OVER THE COCKPIT. THE LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER WAS FEATHERED. THIS WAS DETERMINED BY THE POSITION OF THE PROPELLER BLADES; ALSO, THE COCKPIT CONTROLS SHOWED THE LEFT HAND PROPELLER POSITION LEVER WAS IN THE DOWN OR FULL FEATHER POSITION. BOTH ENGINES WERE FOUND TO BE IN THE MAXIMUM THROTTLE POSITION, FUEL MIXTURE WAS IN THE RICH POSITION AND THE RIGHT PROPELLER POSITION LEVER WAS IN THE FORWARD POSITION. THE IMPACT SITE INDICATED THE RIGHT ENGINE PROPELLER WAS DEVELOPING POWER. THIS WAS DETERMINED BY THE TWIST MARKS ON THE PROP AND COCKPIT LEVERS POSITION. AT THE TIME OF TAKEOFF THE AIRCRAFT WAS FULL OF FUEL (APPROX. 228 US GALLONS). ALL THREE PEOPLE WERE FATALLY INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.