What happened
During a scheduled night exercise with a US Marine Ship, an aircraft departed from Patuxent River NAS. While the flight was maintaining an altitude of 500 feet, the plane experienced a sudden nose-down movement and impacted the Atlantic Ocean. The crash site was located approximately 231 miles east of Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Following the accident, search efforts recovered minimal debris and the remains of the captain. However, no trace of the remaining crew members was located in the area.
Findings
Investigators were unable to establish a definitive cause for the accident due to a lack of sufficient evidence. While the exact reason for the descent remains undetermined, investigators noted that altimeter oscillations are a known phenomenon during flight and could have potentially contributed to the event.