• BuNo: 159736
• Location: Near NAS Patuxent River
• Date: Wed 29-Apr-1992
• Cause: Aircraft Mechanical Failure
• Findings: Crashed over Chesapeake Bay, near NAS Patuxent River, Maryland (Pax River). Test Pilots performed Structural Demonstrations Maneuvers, aircraft tail section broke apart. Exceeded aircraft structural limits.
  Crew of 2 ejected safely.
  (Test pilots putting aircraft through punishing maneuvers. A loud 'Crr-rack' was heard and suddenly aircraft was out of control. A large portion of the tail was snapped off during the stressful swerving maneuvers). Source: Internet article 'Eject! Eject! Eject!' dated 18 April 1993.
  Source: JAG Investigation Report (missing pages)
  Statements from JAG Report: 'This was a complex investigation which addressed both the direct structural causes of the mishap and organizational relationships and procedures which resulted in inadequate communications during the planning phases of this test flight'.
  Flight test profile exceeded published maximum tail loads.
  Rudder sweeps and tail could not handle it.
  PID maneuvers in the test program???
  PID flights???
  Mission: Flight Improvement Data Collection Program (aircraft was fully instrumented and was broadcasting telemetry data at the time of the mishap).

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