What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On June 20 about 19:40 eastern daylight time, a F-1 rocket, N623BL departed the woodbine NJ airport for a part 91 flight. A witness at the airport stated the departure was normal. Ten minutes into the flight several witness's stated that they observed the aircraft doing aerobatic manuevers about ten miles from the airport. During a straight-up ascent the witness's stated the aircraft stalled or shutoff and tumbled end over end and began to spiral down. The aircraft did not recover from the spiral and after contacting several electrical service wires crashed on state highway 550 in a nose down attitude making a sixteen inch depression in the paved surface. The aircrat came to rest inverted with the nose headed 090. The impact and post crash fire destroyed the aircraft, both occupants of the aircraft who were wearing parachutes wer fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the duration of the flight and no flight plan had been filed. Post crash evaluation of the aircraft revealed continuity of ailerons, aft fuselage destroyed by fire but rudder cables were present and attached, push pull rod for elevator compromised by fire but rod ends of tube were there and attached. Engine was inspected and found to be intact and appeared to be functional (see attached report). Fuel selector was found in the right tank position. The internal portion of the fuel selector valve had melted in the fire and the valve could no be repositioned. I have a fuel slip showing service of 37 gallons of fuel at 19:33 local just prior to the flight. The radar track shows the aircraft departing 23:33Z and off screen at 23:43Z. Radar track is also available.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JUNE 20 ABOUT 19:40 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A F-1 ROCKET, N623BL DEPARTED THE WOODBINE NJ AIRPORT FOR A PART 91 FLIGHT. A WITNESS AT THE AIRPORT STATED THE DEPARTURE WAS NORMAL. TEN MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT SEVERAL WITNESS'S STATED THAT THEY OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT DOING AEROBATIC MANUEVERS ABOUT TEN MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. DURING A STRAIGHT-UP ASCENT THE WITNESS'S STATED THE AIRCRAFT STALLED OR SHUTOFF AND TUMBLED END OVER END AND BEGAN TO SPIRAL DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RECOVER FROM THE SPIRAL AND AFTER CONTACTING SEVERAL ELECTRICAL SERVICE WIRES CRASHED ON STATE HIGHWAY 550 IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE MAKING A SIXTEEN INCH DEPRESSION IN THE PAVED SURFACE. THE AIRCRAT CAME TO REST INVERTED WITH THE NOSE HEADED 090. THE IMPACT AND POST CRASH FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT, BOTH OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WHO WERE WEARING PARACHUTES WER FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. POST CRASH EVALUATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED CONTINUITY OF AILERONS, AFT FUSELAGE DESTROYED BY FIRE BUT RUDDER CABLES WERE PRESENT AND ATTACHED, PUSH PULL ROD FOR ELEVATOR COMPROMISED BY FIRE BUT ROD ENDS OF TUBE WERE THERE AND ATTACHED. ENGINE WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND TO BE INTACT AND APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONAL (SEE ATTACHED REPORT). FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE RIGHT TANK POSITION. THE INTERNAL PORTION OF THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE HAD MELTED IN THE FIRE AND THE VALVE COULD NO BE REPOSITIONED. I HAVE A FUEL SLIP SHOWING SERVICE OF 37 GALLONS OF FUEL AT 19:33 LOCAL JUST PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. THE RADAR TRACK SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTING 23:33Z AND OFF SCREEN AT 23:43Z. RADAR TRACK IS ALSO AVAILABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.