What happened
During the takeoff roll, the left engine of the aircraft caught fire. The pilot was able to bring the plane to a halt on the runway, preventing further damage or loss of control. Following the incident, all 31 skydivers and the two crew members onboard successfully evacuated the aircraft. No injuries were reported among the passengers or the crew.
During the subsequent investigation, investigators discovered that a single blade had detached from the left engine propeller. This missing component was located several days after the event, approximately 3,000 feet west of the aircraft's position on the runway.
Findings
An investigation into the mechanical failure revealed that a propeller blade separation occurred during the takeoff phase. The inquiry also determined that there was no evidence to confirm that the required maintenance regarding a mandatory airworthiness directive for the propeller system had been performed by the operator's maintenance staff.