Accident Overview
A VFR night cargo flight departed on a cargo operation. During the initial climb, at an altitude of 300 to 400 feet above ground level, the pilot announced an engine failure. The tower controller cleared the flight to return to the airport and land on any available runway. The aircraft subsequently entered a right descending turn, impacted the ground approximately one mile from the airport, and erupted in flames.
Aircraft Examination
Post-accident examination revealed that the right engine was not operating at the time of impact. The landing gear was found in the down position, and the right propeller was in the high pitch setting. Inspection of the right engine identified several discrepancies: blocked fuel injectors, fuel injectors of incorrect size, a fuel pump that was out of adjustment, and a magneto with burned and pitted breaker points.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the accident, as determined by the investigation, was the loss of power on the right engine during initial climb after takeoff due to inadequate maintenance inspection and adjustment of the engine by company maintenance personnel, and the loss of control by the pilot due to his failure to properly configure the aircraft and perform a proper single engine climb maneuver, and his failure to maintain single engine climb airspeed. A factor relating to the accident was the dark night light conditions.
The accident resulted in the death of both occupants on board.