Departure and In-Flight Event
The airplane departed while it was snowing. According to the pilot, after becoming airborne, the airplane began to shake severely. The pilot attempted to climb, but the airplane would not climb and continued to settle. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing in a field, approximately 3,200 feet from the departure end of the runway.
Post-Accident Examination
The company director of operations (D/O) examined the airplane about 45 minutes after the forced landing. The D/O reported finding rough granular ice on the top surface of the wing, which conformed to the outline of the fuel tanks. The rough granular ice was not found on the horizontal stabilizer.
Pre-Departure Actions
The pilot reported choosing not to use liquid deicing fluid on the wings because the snow was blowing off the top of the wings when the airplane was pulled from the hangar. The D/O further reported that the airplane had been refueled with 177 gallons approximately 2 hours prior to departure. After refueling, the airplane was placed in an unheated hangar with the door open. The fuel came from a truck that had been kept in a heated hangar.