What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On June 22, 2008, about 08:01 eastern daylight time (EDT), an aero vodochody L-29, foreign built military jet trainer, N29DJ, registered to air up, LLC and operated by the owner/operator, crashed shortly after takeoff from Millville airport, Millville, NJ (kmiv). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The private pilot and a rear seat passenger, received fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The aircraft is based out of Millville, NJ and no other flights had transpired on that day prior to the accident. Witnesses observed the aircraft taxi with what appeared to be some difficulty to runway 28, stopping along the way at an intersection and making three 360 degree turns prior to takeoff. The pilot did request traffic advisories through a remote flight servicce facility. Witnesses stated that shortly after takeoff from runway 28 at kmiv, the pilot of the accident airplane was making a left "lazy turn" to crosswing at approximately 1200 feet AGL and heading wouth when the accident airplane appeared to have lost power. The airplane was then observed making a 90 degree turn back towards the airfield. According to one witness, the aircraft was at "approximately 600 feet AGL, (when) the nose came up slightly, and the wings rocked, as if stalled, and the nose went down again at approximately a 50-60 degree nose down" attitude. The airplane descended and then penetrated a heavily wooded pineland area south of the airfield approximately 1/2/ mile south of the airport. The aircraft flight's path was oriented on a magnetic heading of approximately 030 degrees in the direction of the airport when it came into contact with large standing pine trees, approximately 200 feet forward of the impact site. The aircraft was totally destroyed. Residual fuel samples taken from both main fuel tanks indicated that the fuel contained red dye. Fuel receipts obtained from the pilot's personal effects indicated a recent purchase of 138 gallons of kerosene, 26 gallons of diesel fuel and 5 gallons of off-road diesel fuel. All fuel was purchased at the same local service station. Fuel had been stored in containers in the pilot's truck, which was parked near the aircraft's original tie-down location. Fuel samples taken from the owner's truck and from the aircraft are presently in quarantine pending disposition and testing. Further evaluation of the wreckage, to include the fuel system, engine, fuel control, fuel deliver system, filters and strainers is scheduled. The airman and aircraft records were not immediately made available and efforts to obtain these records for review are in progress. Further updates to this report will be made available as they become known.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JUNE 22, 2008, ABOUT 08:01 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT), AN AERO VODOCHODY L-29, FOREIGN BUILT MILITARY JET TRAINER, N29DJ, REGISTERED TO AIR UP, LLC AND OPERATED BY THE OWNER/OPERATOR, CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM MILLVILLE AIRPORT, MILLVILLE, NJ (KMIV). VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND A REAR SEAT PASSENGER, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE AIRCRAFT IS BASED OUT OF MILLVILLE, NJ AND NO OTHER FLIGHTS HAD TRANSPIRED ON THAT DAY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT TAXI WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE SOME DIFFICULTY TO RUNWAY 28, STOPPING ALONG THE WAY AT AN INTERSECTION AND MAKING THREE 360 DEGREE TURNS PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. THE PILOT DID REQUEST TRAFFIC ADVISORIES THROUGH A REMOTE FLIGHT SERVICCE FACILITY. WITNESSES STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 28 AT KMIV, THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS MAKING A LEFT "LAZY TURN" TO CROSSWING AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 FEET AGL AND HEADING WOUTH WHEN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE APPEARED TO HAVE LOST POWER. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN OBSERVED MAKING A 90 DEGREE TURN BACK TOWARDS THE AIRFIELD. ACCORDING TO ONE WITNESS, THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT "APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET AGL, (WHEN) THE NOSE CAME UP SLIGHTLY, AND THE WINGS ROCKED, AS IF STALLED, AND THE NOSE WENT DOWN AGAIN AT APPROXIMATELY A 50-60 DEGREE NOSE DOWN" ATTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED AND THEN PENETRATED A HEAVILY WOODED PINELAND AREA SOUTH OF THE AIRFIELD APPROXIMATELY 1/2/ MILE SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT'S PATH WAS ORIENTED ON A MAGNETIC HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 030 DEGREES IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AIRPORT WHEN IT CAME INTO CONTACT WITH LARGE STANDING PINE TREES, APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET FORWARD OF THE IMPACT SITE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. RESIDUAL FUEL SAMPLES TAKEN FROM BOTH MAIN FUEL TANKS INDICATED THAT THE FUEL CONTAINED RED DYE. FUEL RECEIPTS OBTAINED FROM THE PILOT'S PERSONAL EFFECTS INDICATED A RECENT PURCHASE OF 138 GALLONS OF KEROSENE, 26 GALLONS OF DIESEL FUEL AND 5 GALLONS OF OFF-ROAD DIESEL FUEL. ALL FUEL WAS PURCHASED AT THE SAME LOCAL SERVICE STATION. FUEL HAD BEEN STORED IN CONTAINERS IN THE PILOT'S TRUCK, WHICH WAS PARKED NEAR THE AIRCRAFT'S ORIGINAL TIE-DOWN LOCATION. FUEL SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE OWNER'S TRUCK AND FROM THE AIRCRAFT ARE PRESENTLY IN QUARANTINE PENDING DISPOSITION AND TESTING. FURTHER EVALUATION OF THE WRECKAGE, TO INCLUDE THE FUEL SYSTEM, ENGINE, FUEL CONTROL, FUEL DELIVER SYSTEM, FILTERS AND STRAINERS IS SCHEDULED. THE AIRMAN AND AIRCRAFT RECORDS WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY MADE AVAILABLE AND EFFORTS TO OBTAIN THESE RECORDS FOR REVIEW ARE IN PROGRESS. FURTHER UPDATES TO THIS REPORT WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE AS THEY BECOME KNOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.