Incident Overview
Shortly after takeoff, the airplane lost power in both engines. The instructor pilot reported that both engines made a popping noise when power was lost. A forced landing was executed in a field, and during the rollout, the airplane collided with a ditch.
Post-Crash Examination
A post-crash examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any pre-existing mechanical problems. Subsequent attempts to test-run the engines were conducted. Both engines started normally and developed power. However, the right engine run was limited to 55% power due to airplane damage sustained in the accident. The left engine was run up to full power with no problems.
Test Run Reproduction
During the left engine run-up, fuel to the engine was intentionally shut off. After approximately 30 seconds, the engine began to make a popping noise and subsequently lost power. This reproduced the behavior reported by the instructor pilot during the actual power loss.
Conclusion
No probable cause was stated in the source. The findings indicate that the power loss was consistent with fuel starvation, but no definitive causal link was established.