What happened
A C-45H departed on a local training flight intended for a flight review. The crew consisted of the pilot/owner in the left seat and a flight instructor in the right seat. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft's left engine began to shake before it subsequently seized.
As the flight instructor reached for the emergency checklist to manage the engine failure, the pilot/owner inadvertently feathered the remaining operational engine. Following this second engine failure, the flight instructor assumed control of the aircraft and executed a forced landing. Both occupants were not injured.
Findings
The investigation determined that the feathering buttons were positioned such that they were only accessible to the pilot/owner. The pilot/owner had 55 hours of experience in this specific make and model, but had no flight time in the aircraft during the preceding 90 days. Furthermore, the pilot/owner had never performed an unfeathering maneuver in flight and was unfamiliar with the specific procedures required to restart the engine. Due to this lack of familiarity, the pilot/owner was unable to assist in unfeathering the engine to facilitate a restart during the emergency.