Suffered something similar when I were a nipper; I used to build those model rockets and bought a NASA one with a detachable Space Shuttle; opted to name it "Challenger" and when the day came to take it to the runway and blast it into the sky, it got 5 metres off the ground before turning completely horizontal, shooting straight down the tarmac for another 6-7 metres before nosediving spectacularly into the ground and blowing up in a plume of smoke.