What happened
During the initial takeoff climb, while at an altitude between 200 and 300 feet, the aircraft experienced a loss of power in the right engine, causing the plane to yaw to the right. In an attempt to maintain airspeed, the pilot lowered the nose and attempted to increase power by pulling the right power lever rearward, but the engine failed to respond. During the emergency, the pilot focused on various switches near the boost pump controls and did not immediately feather the right propeller.
A passenger on board noted that the left engine did not appear to be producing full power. Upon checking the manifold pressure gauges, it was observed that while one gauge read 25 inches, the other read zero, significantly below the required 39 inches. As the aircraft approached a line of trees, the pilot attempted an emergency landing in an open field to the left, but the flight path led to a collision with the trees. Just prior to the impact, the pilot successfully feathered the right engine, causing the propeller to stop rotating.
Findings
Post-accident inspections of the right engine showed no identifiable anomalies. However, an examination of the left engine determined that the starter adapter gear teeth had failed due to overload, which contributed to the loss of engine performance.