What happened
Shortly after departure, the pilot reported that the left engine surged twice before ceasing operation entirely. In response to the mechanical failure, the pilot elected to execute a precautionary landing in an open field. The ground conditions were compromised by melting snow, resulting in soft terrain that affected the rollout phase of the landing.
During the roll out, the nose wheel sank into the softened earth. This action caused the drag link to break, which subsequently led to the collapse of the nose gear assembly.
The investigation
A mechanical examination of the aircraft revealed a critical failure in the fuel system controls. The left fuel selector cable had frozen, preventing proper operation. This freezing issue caused the left main fuel valve to stick in either an off or partially off position, which likely contributed to the engine surge and subsequent shutdown.
Findings
The investigation identified several contributing factors:
- The left engine surged and quit shortly after takeoff.
- The landing was conducted in a field with soft ground conditions due to melting snow.
- The nose wheel dug into the soft terrain during rollout.
- The drag link broke, causing the nose gear to collapse.
- The left fuel selector cable was frozen.
- The left main fuel valve stuck in an off or partially off position.