Narrative
About 10 minutes after takeoff, while cruising at 800 feet above ground level, the pilot observed the right engine's oil pressure decreasing and its temperature increasing. Approximately two minutes later, the engine began running rough and backfiring, leading the pilot to shut it down. During the emergency, he mistakenly turned into a small bay instead of returning to the departure airport. With high terrain and houses on his left, he attempted a slow right turn. As the airplane entered a low airspeed buffet and the pilot feared it would go inverted, he cut power to the left engine, leveled the wings, and ditched the airplane in shallow water near the shoreline.
Investigation Findings
Post-accident examination revealed that during the after-takeoff landing gear retraction, the right main landing gear retraction chain had broken. The broken chain punctured the right engine's oil tank, allowing all the oil to drain out. No mechanical defects were found in either of the two engines themselves.