Summary
Shortly after departing from runway 29R, the aircraft experienced an uncontrolled pitch-up. The pilot applied right aileron and full right rudder, causing the aircraft to roll right and the nose to drop. The pilot recovered before ground impact but the aircraft struck a six-foot wire fence. The fence tore off the engines and induced a clockwise rotation on the ground. Cargo broke through the fuselage side. The pilot exited uninjured. The aircraft then burst into flames and the fuselage sustained severe fire damage.
Investigation Findings
Examination revealed that 2,989 lbs of freight and a 359 lb motorcycle were loaded between bulkheads 5 and 11. The bulkhead load limits were 450 lbs for stations 5-8 and 300 lbs for stations 8-10. The estimated maximum gross weight at takeoff was 10,310 lbs. The pilot reported that none of the freight was secured with tie-downs.
Probable Cause Statement
The official investigation determined two occurrences. In Occurrence #1 (loss of control during initial climb), findings included: aircraft weight and balance exceeded by the pilot-in-command, tie-down not performed by the pilot-in-command, and aircraft handling not possible. In Occurrence #2 (in-flight collision with object during takeoff), the finding was that the object was a fence.