Flight and Incident Overview
The flight departed Runway 25 at Greenlee County Airport in Clifton, Arizona, on a VFR flight to Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. Shortly after lift-off, the pilot and ground witnesses observed grayish-white smoke emanating from the left engine. The pilot was unable to feather the propeller and circled the airport approximately two times at a low altitude before landing between the runways.
Post-Crash Investigation
Examination following the event disclosed that the fire originated in the vicinity of the left engine turbocharger. The turbocharger oil line housing was found fractured. When the engines were shipped to Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM), the housing was missing. The engine crates were opened before safety board investigators arrived at TCM to conduct the engine examination. The left engine examination revealed external high-temperature distress and minor detonation signatures.
Probable Cause
The official findings list three occurrences: first, a fire during the initial climb phase, with findings that fluid (oil) was involved, the lubricating system oil line was fractured, and there was an oil leak. Second, a forced landing occurred during the descent/emergency phase. Third, the aircraft collided with terrain during maneuvering for the emergency landing, with findings that the pilot-in-command performed inadequate emergency procedures and did not feather the propeller.