What happened
During the takeoff phase, air traffic control notified the pilot of visible smoke trailing behind the aircraft type. Witnesses observed white smoke emanating from the left engine area, which was followed by the appearance of flames on the inboard side of the same engine. Following these observations, the aircraft entered a left turn. During this maneuver, the smoke and flames became obscured from view. As the aircraft transitioned to a southerly heading, the nose pitched down suddenly, leading to a descent and impact with the ground approximately 0.75 miles from the airport. Witnesses noted an increase in engine noise prior to the crash, and a fire occurred at the wreckage site.
Findings
Investigation of the wreckage revealed that the fuel selector and fuel valve for the left engine were set to the OFF position, indicating the pilot had intentionally shut down the engine. However, the propeller on the left engine had not been feathered. While the right engine showed damage consistent with producing power at the moment of impact, the left engine's oil cap was found unsecured, though fire damage prevented a definitive conclusion regarding its status prior to the crash. No mechanical failures or anomalies were found in either engine that would account for a loss of power. The investigation concluded that the pilot failed to follow established emergency procedures, which require the propeller to be feathered and the landing gear and flaps retracted when operating the aircraft on a single engine.