Accident Sequence
The pilot contacted air traffic control and requested taxi clearance approximately one hour after the scheduled departure time. About four minutes later, the flight was cleared for takeoff. A witness observed the airplane taxi and noted it seemed unusual that the airplane did not stop and increase engine power before takeoff. Instead, the airplane taxied directly onto the runway and began the takeoff roll without pausing. The airplane took off quickly, within about 100 yards of beginning the roll, became airborne, and entered a steep left bank. The bank angle increased, and the airplane descended and impacted the ground.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the pilot's four-point restraint was not fastened. Additionally, at least a portion of the cockpit flight control lock remained installed on the control column. One of the items on the pre-takeoff checklist was "Flight controls - Unlocked - Full travel." The airplane was not equipped with a control lock design that, according to the airframe manufacturer's previously issued service bulletins, would "minimize the possibility of the aircraft becoming airborne when take off is attempted with flight control locks inadvertently installed."
Regulatory Actions
In 1990, Transport Canada issued an airworthiness directive to ensure mandatory compliance with the service bulletins. However, the Federal Aviation Administration did not issue a similar directive until after the accident.