What happened
Shortly after departing from runway 25, the aircraft reached an altitude of 100 feet before experiencing a significant pitch up, reaching an attitude between 50° and 75°. As the plane climbed to approximately 400 feet, it crossed over a highway roughly 2,000 feet from the end of the runway. Following this climb, the aircraft performed a sharp right-hand maneuver, described by observers as a sudden nose-down turn or wingover, which caused the plane to cross the highway a second time.
The aircraft subsequently impacted the ground in an almost level attitude with a slight left yaw and right bank. The crash occurred approximately one minute after the initial takeoff roll, coming to rest in an open field located about 1,150 feet beyond the runway departure end and 650 feet to the right of the runway centerline. The impact was recorded at a magnetic heading of 025°. There were 10 fatalities among the occupants, which included several tourists from Australia.
Findings
Investigation into the accident revealed that the engines were operating at a high power setting during the maneuvers following takeoff. The National Transportation Safety Board identified that an elevator down-stop bolt had backed out of position. This mechanical failure restricted the downward travel of the elevator to only 10 degrees, which is half of its standard 20-degree range. This limitation prevented the pilot from correcting the pitch up and avoiding a stall. Investigators could not definitively establish why the locking device for the bolt's jam nut had failed.