Accident Details
During takeoff, a twin-engine aircraft encountered serious difficulties in gaining altitude. Shortly after liftoff, it stalled and crashed. The accident resulted in the death of one pilot and serious injuries to the other crew member.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be a stall after takeoff due to an excessive accumulation of snow on the wings and fuselage.
Contributing Factors
Several contributing factors were reported: inadequate preflight preparation, airframe ice, icing conditions, snow, slush on the runway, the crew partially removing snow before taxi, and a 13-minute time span between taxi out and takeoff in snow conditions.
Investigation Findings
The investigation highlighted the presence of snow and ice on the aircraft, as well as the short time between taxi and takeoff during ongoing snowfall. The crew had performed only partial snow removal prior to taxi.