What happened
Shortly after departing from Kenai Airport, the aircraft was ascending toward an altitude of 2,000 feet when a significant malfunction occurred. The number one engine experienced an explosion and ignited a fire. In response to the emergency, the crew attempted to perform an emergency return to the airport.
During this period, a section of the left wing became detached from the airframe. This structural failure caused the aircraft to become uncontrollable. The plane subsequently struck a pasture, where the impact and a post-crash fire resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. There were three fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the primary cause was an engine fire and explosion triggered by a material failure within the cylinder assembly of the engine. The investigation highlighted several contributing elements, including:
- An overload failure occurring during flight
- Sustained fire affecting both the engine and the wing structure
- The separation of aircraft components while in flight
- A failure involving the number two cylinder of the first engine