HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — A preliminary accident report by the National Transportation Safety Board shows a vintage military plane failed to accelerate and was unable to make a normal climb, leading to a crash shortly after takeoff from a Nevada airport.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the safety board report released Wednesday states the BAC-167 Strikemaster jet crashed and caught fire shortly after takeoff July 24 from the Henderson Executive Airport while on the way to an Air Force exercise in Washington state.
The board's preliminary findings say the aircraft, registered to Blue Air Training, landed upright, but was "consumed by fire" and was destroyed.
The commercial pilot, whose name was not released, survived the crash last week with minor injuries, and authorities say no one on the ground was injured.