Accident Overview
The pilot of the aircraft had cleared U.S. Customs in Calexico, California, and was on the ground for approximately 10 minutes. After taxiing to the end of the runway, he noticed a lull in traffic and decided to take off immediately without performing a pretakeoff power or aircraft configuration check.
Engine Failure and Loss of Control
Just after liftoff, as the pilot reached for the landing gear control, the left engine failed. The aircraft yawed and banked to the left. Before the pilot could regain control, the left wing tip contacted the ground. The aircraft then cartwheeled and came to a stop off the left side of the runway.
Post-Accident Examination
An examination of the aircraft revealed that the fuel quantity gauge selector switch was positioned to the main fuel tanks, while the fuel selectors were positioned to the auxiliary fuel tanks. The left and right main fuel tanks contained 16 and 20 gallons of fuel, respectively. The auxiliary tanks had less than 5 gallons. Fuel system continuity was established, and no evidence of postaccident leakage was noted.