S3 Viking History

BuNo: 159759
Location: USS John F. Kennedy
Date: Sat 07-Oct-1989
Cause: Aircraft Mechanical Failure
Findings: October 7, 1989: Crashed at approximately 1542 hours during launch off USS John F. Kennedy normal launch to wings level climbing attitude, the aircraft started a right roll approximately 2 seconds after clearing the flight deck. Full left stick input, aircraft continued a climbing roll with nose high not described a unusually high until past approximately 60 degrees angle of bank and 100 feet +/- AGL at which time the nose began to fall through. Ejection was initiated somewhere between 70 and 90 degree angle of bank. Rear seats exited at approximately 90 degrees angle of bank and front seats exited at or greater than 120 degrees. The aircraft continued to roll and descend nose low until impact with water, inverted at or greater than 135 degrees angle of bank, gear down. Total time from beginning of cat stroke to impact was approximately 10 seconds.

29 May to 12 July 1990 the USNS Grasp located and salvaged the aircraft.
JAG cannot confirm that the aircraft suffered a flight control linkage failure.

Crew of 4 with 3 fatal, one not recovered, and 1 injured.

Source: JAG Investigation Report

JAG Report comments:
If the aircraft had experienced a total hydraulic failure, as possibly indicated by the one statement of an orange fireball during launch, the aircraft should revert to the Emergency Flight Control System. There is an outstanding discrepancy that 20 to 25 pounds of right wing down force is required to fly level in EFCS. A reversion to EFCS should have caused a left roll.

« Back