What happened
During the initial climb phase following departure from runway 29R, the aircraft type experienced an abrupt upward pitch. In an attempt to stabilize the flight path, the pilot utilized full right rudder and right aileron inputs; however, this resulted in a right roll accompanied by a nose-down movement. Although the pilot managed to recover the aircraft's attitude before impacting the terrain, the plane struck a six-foot wire fence.
The impact with the fence caused the engines to be severed from the airframe and induced a clockwise rotation while on the ground. During this sequence, unsecured cargo was displaced through the side of the fuselage. The resulting impact triggered an immediate fire that heavily damaged the fuselage. The pilot escaped the wreckage with zero injuries.
Findings
An investigation into the incident identified significant issues regarding weight and balance. The aircraft was carrying 2,989 lbs of freight along with a 359 lb motorcycle positioned between bulkheads 5 and 11. These loads significantly exceeded the established limits, which were restricted to 450 lbs between bulkheads 5 and 8, and 300 lbs between bulkheads 8 and 10. The estimated takeoff weight was approximately 10,310 lbs.
A critical contributing factor was that none of the cargo was secured with tie-downs. The investigation concluded that the improper distribution of weight and the failure to secure the load led to the loss of control during the takeoff phase.