Incident Background
Following the landing of a previous flight, the pilot observed that the mixture control lever in the cockpit would not shut down the right engine when moved to the idle/cutoff position. The pilot subsequently shut down the engine using the fuel selector. After consulting with other company pilots, a mechanic inspected the airplane and informed the pilot that the right engine mixture control cable had failed. The faulty mixture control on the right engine was not repaired.
Flight and Accident
The pilot elected to depart on another flight, which was the last leg of a five-leg trip. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane was observed to roll to the right and subsequently crash in an inverted attitude.
Examination Findings
Examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. A metallurgical examination of the failed mixture control linkage indicated that the failure was due to fatigue. Cursory examination of the engines and propellers revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction.