What happened
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft swerved uncontrollably to the left. This maneuver caused the plane to depart the runway and descend down an embankment.
The investigation
Post-accident investigation revealed a fracture in the nose landing gear strut at its attachment point to the engine mount. This fracture caused the nose landing gear to partially collapse, which rendered directional control impossible.
Investigators found that the fracture area had previously undergone welding as part of a repair to the engine mount during an annual inspection. An NTSB metallurgical report regarding the weld identified several defects, including excessive porosity, voids, and poor fusion. Furthermore, the metal within the welded area was determined to be significantly softer than the adjacent metal.