Accident Details
A P-3 Orion aircraft was conducting a practice Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) to Lemoore Naval Air Station / Reeves Field, California (NLC). During the approach, the aircraft nosed down near the approach end of the runway, then flared with a nose-high attitude and an excessive sink rate. The landing sequence began with touchdown on the port main landing gear, followed by the starboard main landing gear. Subsequently, the fuselage section just forward of the mad boom struck the runway.
Sequence of Events
On or shortly after touchdown, the port wing broke inboard of the #2 engine and separated from the fuselage. The fuselage slid down the runway and came to rest off the left side of the runway, approximately 1,100 feet from the approach end. The separated port wing continued approximately 300 feet beyond the fuselage. Both the fuselage and the port wing were engulfed in flame. All six occupants of the aircraft were killed.
Probable Cause
The probable cause, as determined by the official investigation, states that the power levers were at the flight idle position at impact. The investigation concluded that an attempt was made to decrease the sink rate by establishing a nose-high attitude prior to impact, and the aircraft was in a stalled or near-stalled condition with minimum power set.