What happened
During the early stages of flight departing from Patuxent River Naval Air Station, an aircraft experienced a critical loss of power. While the plane was performing its initial climb immediately following takeoff, it entered a stall condition which led to a crash at the airfield vicinity.
As a result of the impact, both pilots lost their lives in the accident. Of the five passengers on board, all five sustained injuries during the event. The aircraft itself was completely destroyed upon impact.
Findings
Official investigations into the accident determined that the primary factor leading to the crash was a mechanical failure of the left engine occurring just after the aircraft rotated for takeoff.