What happened
The aircraft, N445LL, departed with a total of twelve people on board: four adults and eight children. The flight phase was the initial climb immediately following takeoff. During this period, the airplane rotated approximately 2000 feet down the runway and climbed in a flat nose-high attitude before settling into trees located about 4223 feet from the point of lift-off. The aircraft oscillated violently two or three times in the pitch axis during a flight duration of 20 to 30 seconds. The occupants died of thermal burns and smoke inhalation.
The investigation
Examination of the accident revealed that the aircraft was approximately 445 pounds over its maximum gross weight limit. Furthermore, the center of gravity was calculated to be 4.26 inches aft of the aft limit. These conditions created a critical stability issue during the takeoff and initial climb phase.
Findings
The pilot had taken a checkride on June 9, 1982, to have a "centerline thrust only" restriction removed from his multi-engine rating. However, 59 of his 62 hours in multi-engine time were accumulated as co-pilot. He had no formal Cessna Citation training and had received only two hours of instruction in conventional multi-engine aircraft. He had never been required to perform weight and balance computations in his military flying or any FAA exam or checkrides.
The pilot's employer did not comply with insurance stipulations which required the pilot of the flight to attend a Cessna flight training school. Additionally, the pilot did not satisfy the minimum hour requirements for his rating. The FAA certificate examiner lost their certificate on July 10, 1982, due to a history of incomplete or substandard checkrides.
The primary causal factors were the overweight condition and the aft center of gravity, which rendered the aircraft uncontrollable during takeoff.