Accident Details
A twin-engine airplane was conducting a local post-maintenance test flight. During the takeoff roll, the airplane went out of control, veered off the runway, and came to rest in flames. One technician was killed, and four other occupants were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Investigation Findings
According to the official investigation, the probable cause was that the gear retracted during the takeoff run after being improperly installed. Contributing factors reported included issues with landing gear switches, levers, and cranking mechanism; improper maintenance; the test hop being conducted due to a previous gear malfunction; and the gear control switch being improperly wired.
Conclusion
The investigation concluded that the accident resulted from the unintended gear retraction caused by improper installation and maintenance errors, compounded by prior gear issues and faulty wiring.