What happened
Following its initial departure, the aircraft returned to the airport from which it had just taken off to perform an emergency landing. During the approach, the aircraft was positioned approximately 500 feet above the ground near the runway threshold. At this stage of the flight, the left propeller had been feathered. The aircraft subsequently entered a left bank that steepened to an angle of roughly 90 degrees, leading into a spin. The descent continued until the aircraft struck the ground.
Findings
Investigation of the wreckage identified that the camshaft of the left engine had suffered a failure caused by a fatigue crack. Aside from this specific component failure, no other irregularities were found within the engine or the airframe. Records indicated that the left engine had been in service for approximately 1,200 hours since its last overhaul. The pilot had owned the aircraft for roughly one month at the time of the accident and possessed 700 hours of total multi-engine experience, though only 10 of those hours were completed in this specific aircraft type. The accident resulted in fatalities.