S3 Viking History

BuNo: 158864
Location: USS John F. Kennedy
Date: Sun 14-Nov-1999
Cause: Pilot Error
Findings: At approximately 1231L hours during launch from Cat. 4 off USS John F. Kennedy aircraft cleared the flight deck at 12:31:40.00 it simultaneously rotated in pitch and rolled rapidly left in bank. The pilot attempted to counter the rapid left roll rate with right lateral stick input but the aircraft's over rotation to stall or near stall rendered the ailerons and spoilers aerodynamically ineffective in arresting the roll rate. The aircrew initiated ejection at 12:31:47.88, the aircraft inverted impacted the water approx. 0.54 seconds after the front seats had cleared. Neither of the aircrew survived.
Aircraft wreckage was recovered December 13th, 1999.
Engineering Investigations were initiated on components of interest related to the mishap. No evidence of malfunctions were found with the engines, flight controls, trim motor.
Pilot did not recognize the stall and therefore failed to aggressively lower the nose.
Source: JAG Investigation Report
Comments from JAG Report: The principal mishap cause factor of this mishap is determined to be, the large aft longitudinal control input by the pilot causing the over-rotation of the aircraft immediately following the catapult launch, resulting in an accelerated stall that he did not recognize. Had the aircraft not stalled, the pilot would have had lateral control authority available to counter the subsequently uncontrollable roll. The aggressive over-rotation of the aircraft and the failure of the pilot to assertively input longitudinal recovery controls started the chain of events that ultimately led to the loss of the aircraft and crew.

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