Accident Overview
The multiengine airplane impacted terrain shortly after departing from the airport. The aircraft began an initial climb after liftoff and initially maintained a track along the extended runway centerline. Approximately one mile into the initial climb, witnesses reported that the aircraft began to make erratic yawing maneuvers and the engines began to emit smoke. The airplane then rolled to the left and dove toward the ground, erupting into fire upon impact.
Pilot Background and Pre-Accident Issues
Prior to the accident, the pilot had reportedly been experiencing mechanical problems with the fuel tank bladder installations and had attempted to install new ones. He was performing his own maintenance on the airplane in an attempt to rectify the problem. The day before the accident, the pilot told his hangar mate that he had taken the airplane on a test flight and encountered mechanical problems with an engine. Neither the nature of the engine problems nor the actions taken to resolve the discrepancies could be determined.
Examination Findings
On-site examination of the thermally destroyed wreckage disclosed evidence consistent with the right engine producing significantly more power than the left engine at the time of ground impact. The extent of the thermal destruction precluded any determination regarding the fuel selector positions, the positions for the boost pump switches, or the fuel tanks and lines.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was a loss of engine(s) power for undetermined reasons. Also causal was the pilot's failure to maintain the airplane's minimum controllable airspeed (Vmc) during the initial climb following a loss of power in one engine, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control and subsequent impact with terrain.