What happened
Prior to departure, the Cessna (type not specified in source, but implied twin) was topped off with 72 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel. During the takeoff roll, the pilot rotated once the airspeed reached 85 mph. As the aircraft climbed and the airspeed increased to 95 mph, the airplane suddenly yawed to the right and the airspeed decreased. The pilot reported that it felt as though the right engine had stopped working.
Within three to four seconds of the yaw, the aircraft was positioned over a row of hangars. In an attempt to regain airspeed, the pilot lowered the nose; however, there was insufficient altitude to clear the structures. The aircraft subsequently collided with a hangar and then impacted two parked aircraft. There were no fatalities or injuries reported in the source text.
The investigation
An examination of the right engine revealed that the mixture control cable had disengaged from the carburetor mixture control arm, and the cotter pin intended to secure the tension nut on the mixture cable was not installed. Components including the mixture control swivel, stud, and a segment of the cable were examined at the NTSB's Materials Laboratory in Washington, DC.
A metallurgist determined that while some components showed wear damage, the mixture control cable did not show longitudinal gouge marks or wear consistent with separating during the accident sequence. Following the investigation, the engine was test-run at various power settings up to 1,500 RPM for approximately 10 minutes, during which it operated continuously without hesitation. The propeller, magnetos, fuel pump, and oil flow were all found to be operating normally. A weight and balance check using original factory data confirmed the aircraft was within limits.