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| Date: | Tuesday 13 July 1982 |
| Time: | 10:20 |
| Type: |  Beechcraft T-34C |
| Owner/operator: | VT-3, US Navy |
| Registration: | 160955 |
| MSN: | 3E955 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Evergreen, Alabama -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | KNSE |
| 39J |
On July 13, 1982, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Barbara (Allen) Rainey and student naval aviator Ensign Donald Bruce Knowlton were practicing touch-and-go landings at Middleton Field near Evergreen, Alabama when, while climbing to pattern altitude, their T-34C banked sharply, lost altitude, and crashed. Rainey and Knowlton were both killed in the crash. Because of the damage to the plane and the lack of any survivors, the cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty.
The Navy investigation found that "While turning crosswind without proper interval, 3E955 crashed, immediately caught fire and burned. At the time of impact, the engine of 3E955 was operating but was operating at reduced power." The "reduced power" was suspected to be due to a "rollback" condition, which is distinctive to turboprop engines like the PT6A in the T-34C. A rollback can be caused by ice buildup in the compressor, fuel system issues, P3 air leaks, or fuel control malfunctions. During a rollback, the engine becomes unresponsive to pilot commands for thrust, and the engine control system's limit protection becomes the proximate cause of the event. Despite the possibility of a rollback (and the uncertainty of never being able to definitely determine it), the investigation nonetheless found that, "The most probable cause of the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain proper interval," i.e. if they hadn't turned early, the loss of power wouldn't have been so impactful, and the plane wouldn't have been turning while in such a low-energy state, ultimately causing an aerodynamic stall and departure from controlled flight.
The families sued Beechcraft for "product liability" due to the rollback, using the Navy's investigation as evidence. However, the federal court wrestled with the admissibility of an accident investigation report, especially one which was broken down into "Opinions" and "Recommendations." The trial was eventually heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, on December 12, 1988, that the factual portions of the investigation were admissible. This meant that the verdict of the original trial stood; that their deaths were not legally caused by the aircraft's fuel control system, and that there was no negligence on the part of Beech Aircraft, Pratt & Whitney, or Beech Aerospace that legally caused the deaths.
Sources:
https://news.va.gov/98887/veteranoftheday-navy-veteran-barbara-allen-rainey/
https://www.navy.mil/DesktopModules/ArticleCS/Print.aspx?PortalId=1&ModuleId=2652&Article=2959110
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Allen_Rainey
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Oct-2025 15:00 | Zorchin | Added |
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