Accident Details
The pilot of the accident aircraft accepted an intersection departure and waived the required wake turbulence holding time. A Boeing 737-300 had departed ahead of him. According to the pilot, the Boeing's nosewheel lifted off the runway just as it passed his position. He also noted that the Boeing and its exhaust smoke drifted to the left of the runway's centerline. The tower controller issued a wake turbulence advisory and takeoff clearance, which the pilot acknowledged. The pilot then initiated the takeoff. After liftoff, the left wing dropped and contacted the runway, causing the airplane to roll inverted. The airplane slid off the left side of the runway, and a post-crash fire developed.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause is the pilot's improper decision to waive the wake turbulence hold time, and his subsequent loss of control when wake vortex turbulence was encountered.