What happened
During a scheduled cargo operation, the aircraft began its departure from the airport. Shortly after lifting off, a dispatcher from the operating company attempted to establish radio contact with the pilot. The pilot acknowledged the transmission with a request to stand by, but no subsequent communications were recorded.
Air traffic controllers observed the aircraft type performing a left-hand turn back toward the departure airfield. During this maneuver, the plane was flying at an altitude of approximately 200 feet. As the aircraft continued the turn, the bank angle became increasingly steep, eventually causing the nose to pitch downward toward the terrain. The aircraft impacted the ground roughly one mile west of the airport in a position with the nose and left wing low. The impact occurred on flat, snow-covered tundra, and the aircraft was destroyed upon impact.
Findings
An investigation into the engine performance following the crash showed no evidence of mechanical failure, with power signatures confirming the engine was producing power at the time of the incident. While a post-accident inspection of the propeller assembly noted that one of the three composite blades had shifted 17/32 inch within its blade clamp, the manufacturer noted that ground contact typically drives blades toward a lower angle rather than a higher one. There were no prior documented instances of such blade slippage in these composite clamps.