Incident Overview
While on initial climb, the left engine ceased operation. The pilot executed a gear-up landing in a field, and the aircraft came to rest one-half mile from the end of the runway.
Investigation Findings
Examination revealed that the left propeller had not been feathered, while the right propeller showed evidence of having been feathered before impact. An engine run of the left engine determined that the unmetered fuel pressure was set too high at idle, which resulted in rough running and eventual engine stoppage.
Background
Records from the aircraft's left engine logbook indicated a history of hard starting, mixture-related problems, and rough running. The operator was aware of these faults and had instructed the pilot to start the left engine with the mixture lever retarded to near idle cutoff.