What happened
The flight crew arrived at the airfield roughly 20 minutes prior to their scheduled midnight departure. According to observations from a local night watchman, the preflight procedures and the initial takeoff roll proceeded without any visible issues. Although an IFR flight plan had been filed, the crew did not make any radio communications with air traffic control or unicom following their departure from runway 36.
Shortly after lifting off, the aircraft entered a descending turn to the left. During this maneuver, the plane struck trees approximately 1.8 miles north of the runway. The impact and subsequent fire caused damage to a half-mile stretch of forest. Before the wreckage finally came to rest, the aircraft collided with a support tower for a powerline. The crash was discovered following an electrical power outage in a nearby city. At the time of impact, the aircraft was traveling at an estimated speed of 260 knots.
There were two fatalities among the crew, and no mechanical failures or part malfunctions were identified as contributing to the accident.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the primary cause was the pilot-in-command's failure to ensure the aircraft maintained an adequate climb profile after takeoff. Several contributing factors were noted, including the lack of visibility during the night and the crew's diminished visual perception in the dark. Additionally, the pilot-in-command was experiencing fatigue after working earlier that day, and the co-pilot failed to take necessary remedial actions during the descent.