What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed and exploded into the potomac river on takeoff from rwy 20 at the Quantico marine corps air facility, (-23) on aug. 29, 1998 about 1310 EST, the T-34B took-off on runway 20. Witnesses reported that the aircraft was between 150 to 200 feet at midfield and did not climb any higher. No back-firing or smoke was reported. Witnesses stated the nose of the T-34 rose up, then dropped. The aircraft then rolled to the left, impacting the potomac river in about a 30 degree nose down angle. The aircraft bursted into flames upon impact, floated about 15 min and sank in 10-12 feet of water. (.4) the airplane departed on a local training flight. A flight instructor in the rear seat was checking out the front seat pilot who was new to the airplane. Witnesses reported that after the airplane became airborne, it did not climb as expected. While over the water and beyond the departure end of the runway, at an estimated altitude of 150 to 200 feet above the water, the airplane was observed to enter a shallow left turn. The bank increased, the nose dropped and the airplane struck the water. The CFI was found with his shoulder harness not connected. No evidence of pre-existing mechani cal failure was found with the airframe or engine.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED AND EXPLODED INTO THE POTOMAC RIVER ON TAKEOFF FROM RWY 20 AT THE QUANTICO MARINE CORPS AIR FACILITY, (-23) ON AUG. 29, 1998 ABOUT 1310 EST, THE T-34B TOOK-OFF ON RUNWAY 20. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS BETWEEN 150 TO 200 FEET AT MIDFIELD AND DID NOT CLIMB ANY HIGHER. NO BACK-FIRING OR SMOKE WAS REPORTED. WITNESSES STATED THE NOSE OF THE T-34 ROSE UP, THEN DROPPED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED TO THE LEFT, IMPACTING THE POTOMAC RIVER IN ABOUT A 30 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ANGLE. THE AIRCRAFT BURSTED INTO FLAMES UPON IMPACT, FLOATED ABOUT 15 MIN AND SANK IN 10-12 FEET OF WATER. (.4) THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED ON A LOCAL TRAINING FLIGHT. A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR IN THE REAR SEAT WAS CHECKING OUT THE FRONT SEAT PILOT WHO WAS NEW TO THE AIRPLANE. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT AFTER THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE, IT DID NOT CLIMB AS EXPECTED. WHILE OVER THE WATER AND BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, AT AN ESTIMATED ALTITUDE OF 150 TO 200 FEET ABOVE THE WATER, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO ENTER A SHALLOW LEFT TURN. THE BANK INCREASED, THE NOSE DROPPED AND THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE WATER. THE CFI WAS FOUND WITH HIS SHOULDER HARNESS NOT CONNECTED. NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-EXISTING MECHANI CAL FAILURE WAS FOUND WITH THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.