What happened
A cargo operation traveling from Ciudad Trujillo toward Miami, Florida, crashed during the initial climb phase. The aircraft, operated with a crew of two and no passengers, departed from Runway 2CL. Shortly after departing the runway, at an altitude of roughly 150 feet, the plane veered to the left. The impact occurred approximately 300 feet from the runway centerline and between 200 and 300 feet before the end of the runway. The accident took place at about 10:16 GMT. The collision with the ground resulted in a fire that destroyed the aircraft, and both crew members were killed.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified a mechanical failure within the port engine as the primary driver of the accident. During the emergency, the crew likely engaged in an improper sequence of actions; evidence suggests they attempted an emergency landing with the gear extended, followed by an immediate attempt to regain altitude by applying maximum power to both engines. Because there was no indication that the propellers had been feathered, it is believed that propeller overspeed or a significant decrease in pitch occurred. This mechanical instability, occurring at a critical speed during takeoff, led to a stall and subsequent crash.