Accident Overview
On the night of the accident, a pilot was completing a training mission at Madison Airport. The pilot had been flying for approximately three hours. After landing, the pilot increased power and began a new takeoff. During the initial climb, the airplane banked left, stalled, and subsequently crashed in flames. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact, and the pilot was killed.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation determined the probable cause of the accident to be a loss of control during initial climb due to a partial loss of power on one engine. Several contributing factors were identified: inadequate preflight preparation on the part of the pilot, physical impairment, mismanagement of fuel, pilot fatigue, fuel starvation, the pilot's failure to maintain flying speed, and a partial loss of power on one engine. Additionally, the pilot had completed 2.8 hours of flight on the main fuel tank, and the aircraft was not refueled prior to the flight.