What happened
During a takeoff roll from runway 22, a single-up pilot twin-engine turbojet experienced a loss of directional control. The aircraft departed from a runway measuring 7,602 feet in length and 150 feet in width. Witnesses observed the aircraft climbing to an altitude of roughly 150 feet before it rolled to the right, descended, and struck the ground in an inverted position. The impact occurred approximately 3,750 feet from the departure point. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were reported as day VFR with winds originating from 170 degrees at 10 knots.
This flight served as the initial test flight following a period of extensive maintenance that had kept the aircraft grounded for over nine months. During the takeoff sequence, another aircraft was on a 10-mile final approach and had declared an emergency, yet the tower cleared the subject aircraft for takeoff without delay. No distress calls or additional communications were received from the aircraft prior to the crash.
Findings
An investigation of the wreckage and flight systems yielded several critical observations. While the engines and flight controls showed no mechanical discrepancies or anomalies that would have hindered normal operation, the flaps were found in the takeoff configuration and the control lock was unlocked. Notably, the main-entry door latching pins were not in their fully locked position.
Regarding the aircraft's maintenance status, much of the available documentation was incomplete, and investigators could not locate a formal approval for return-to-service. The aircraft was also not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder or a flight data recorder. The failure to properly secure the main-entry door latching pins was a significant finding during the wreckage examination.