What happened
Shortly after takeoff, at an altitude of approximately 200 feet over the departure end of the runway, witnesses observed the engine of the unspecified aircraft sputter. Following this event, the airplane banked between 40 and 90 degrees to the left and entered a stall.
Two weeks prior to this accident, the pilot had experienced an engine loss in the same aircraft, which resulted in a landing on a taxiway.
The investigation
A subsequent examination of the engine identified stuck exhaust valves on the number one and number six cylinders. Investigators also found that both ignition harnesses contained numerous cracks in the ground shielding, with some cracks covered by electrical tape. While three new ignition harnesses had been installed, there was no corresponding maintenance entry in the engine logbook to document this work. The remaining ignition harnesses appeared to be the original components.