Accident Details
A twin-engine airplane with a push-pull configuration departed a 7,550-foot-long runway but did not climb above 100 feet above ground level. The landing gear remained extended throughout the flight. Seconds before colliding with power lines, a transmission from one of the occupants indicated that they did not need assistance. The wreckage sustained extensive thermal damage during the accident sequence.
Witness Observations
Two witnesses, both pilots, saw the airplane after liftoff flying at low altitude, just barely clearing the tops of trees. Both reported the airplane was at a slow airspeed in a nose-high attitude with the landing gear down. After traveling about 1,000 yards, the airplane began a descent while maintaining the nose-high attitude until it contacted power lines.
Engine and Propeller Examination
Examination of the engines revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the propellers indicated that the front engine was operating in the normal range at impact; however, the rear engine was producing little or no power and had not been feathered.
Performance Assessment
Performance calculations using the atmospheric conditions at the time and the estimated gross weight of the airplane indicated that with the rear engine inoperative and the landing gear extended, the airplane was not capable of climbing or maintaining level flight. A windmilling propeller would have greatly exacerbated the performance deficiency.