Introduction
A Beech A100 aircraft experienced an accident shortly after takeoff. The airplane had recently undergone maintenance for slow acceleration on the right engine. Maintenance records indicated that the fuel controls were swapped from the right engine to the left engine. The airplane was then released back to the pilot for service, and he departed for his home station.
Witness Observations
Multiple witnesses observed the airplane after takeoff at a low altitude and at a slow speed. The airplane turned left, and the left wing struck the ground. Two witnesses reported seeing the airplane pass by them at low altitude and noted that the left (port) engine propeller was turning very slowly, allowing them to identify individual blades.
Propeller and Engine Examination
Disassembly of the left propeller revealed that the propeller blades were at or near the feathered position at the time of impact. A complete disassembly of both engines showed no discrepancies other than impact damage and post-impact fire damage.
Pilot Experience
The pilot had a total of 106 flight hours in the Beech A100 aircraft, all within the 90 days prior to the accident. In the 30 days before the accident, the pilot had logged 56 hours.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain minimum control speed after an undetermined loss of engine power, which resulted in an inadvertent stall at too low an altitude to allow recovery.