What happened
During the takeoff roll on a runway covered in contaminants, the co-pilot observed that the aircraft was failing to accelerate properly. As the aircraft passed the midfield point of the runway, the co-pilot requested an aborted takeoff, but the pilot chose to proceed with the departure. The aircraft failed to reach its required rotation speed (Vr). As the runway reached its end, the pilot attempted to rotate the aircraft, leading to a collision with a snowbank measuring five feet in height. The aircraft proceeded through the snowbank and eventually stopped in a field located roughly 500 feet beyond the runway terminus.
As a result of the impact, both pilots sustained serious injuries, while both passengers suffered slight injuries.
Findings
Post-crash analysis revealed that the parking brake was engaged in an intermediate position, specifically at 23% of its maximum braking capacity. Investigators also determined that the parking brake warning light was non-functional because the instrument panel lights were set to the dim position. While the warning light functioned correctly when the panel lights were set to bright, the dim setting rendered the light inoperative. At the time of the on-site investigation, the panel lights were confirmed to be in the dim setting.