What happened
The unidentified airplane was on the first overnight stop of a ferry flight to South America. The aircraft had been topped off with fuel for its scheduled departure to Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
A witness at the airfield observed a similar aircraft depart two minutes prior to the accident aircraft; that preceding plane was noted to be heavily loaded but established a good rate of climb. Upon observing the accident aircraft take off and begin its climb, the witness noted an immediate and marked decrease in performance. Following a long takeoff roll, the airplane failed to gain altitude.
The pilot performed a hard landing in a rough and uneven field. During the initial point of ground impact, both main landing gear were torn from the aircraft. The airplane remained in an upright position after coming to rest.
The investigation
Investigators examined the fuel on board and found it to be free of contaminants. During the investigation, the pilot suggested to the FAA inspector that the loss of power might have been caused by a turbocharger failure or because the propeller was not in the low pitch/high RPM position. However, the specific reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.