What happened
At 04:41:11, a night cargo flight began its takeoff roll. The flight was conducting an evaluation of the first officer for a potential upgrade to captain. Before departure, the flight was cleared for a right turn to 020 degrees after takeoff. During the initial climb, water/methanol injection was used to manage first power reduction.
At 04:41:49, the landing gear was retracted. Eight seconds later, a first power reduction was made, followed by an approved frequency change. The captain had noted that the aircraft should climb to 1,500 feet MSL (approximately 500 feet AGL) before initiating the turn.
At approximately 300 feet AGL, the aircraft entered an overcast layer and began a steep right turn. Cockpit voice recorder data indicated the captain was performing cockpit duties and providing information to the first officer regarding the departure. Flight data recorder records showed the aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 423 feet AGL before it began descending. At 04:42:22, the captain was recorded saying, "Don't go down . . . get up . . . up up up . . . up, oh!"
At that time, the aircraft struck an open field but continued flying for approximately 3/4 of a mile. The aircraft then struck a tree and crashed in a wooded area.
Findings
An investigation revealed that during several training flights and two check flights, the first officer demonstrated difficulty performing instrument flight. This was attributed to disorientation, a narrow focus of attention, or a lack of instrument scan (instrument fixation), particularly during periods of high task workload.