What happened
During a solo flight serving as the pilot's first revenue mission for the operator in this specific aircraft type, a collision with the ground occurred at the airport. The flight took place under meteorological conditions characterized by fog and low cloud ceilings. The accident happened during the initial climb phase immediately following takeoff. The aircraft was occupied solely by the pilot, who was the only person on board at the time of the impact. The collision resulted in one fatality.
Findings
Post-accident inspections of the airframe and engines showed no mechanical irregularities or failures. However, investigations focused on the cockpit instrumentation, specifically the primary left-side attitude indicator. This particular aircraft was unique within the company's fleet due to its specific electrical configuration, which utilized an independent switch to power the instrument.
Investigators discovered that the attitude indicator featured a malfunctioning on/off flag. This defect caused the instrument to display an active status even when the unit was not receiving power. While the internal gyro housing showed no signs of rotational damage, the misleading indicator provided inaccurate information to the pilot during the flight.