What happened
During a takeoff roll, witnesses noted the Mitsubishi aircraft became airborne approximately 1,300 feet along the 6,600-foot runway. The aircraft achieved a nose-high climb reaching an altitude of roughly 1,000 feet before entering a steep left-hand bank. During this maneuver, the nose dropped, and the aircraft underwent approximately four rotations before impacting flat terrain located near the departure end of the runway threshold. There were 0 fatalities reported in the provided documentation.
Flight performance calculations suggested that while the aircraft was capable of lifting off at the observed location, the specific speeds required to achieve that performance would have placed the aircraft below the minimum control speed (Vmc) and near the power-off stall speed. Post-accident investigation of the engine revealed that the left engine's gearbox section suffered a high cycle fatigue failure of the high-speed pinion journal bearing oil supply tube. This mechanical failure led to the degradation of the bearings and a partial power loss in the left engine.
Findings
Investigation of the airframe showed no signs of flight control malfunctions. However, the engine teardown confirmed the fatigue failure in the oil supply tube. Regarding pilot experience, the pilot had recently acquired the aircraft and had flown it for only 11 hours since the purchase. While the pilot possessed significant total time in this specific model, his last flight in a Mitsubishi had occurred 14 years earlier. Furthermore, flight logs indicated very low total flight time across all aircraft types during the two years preceding the accident. Witnesses who had flown with the pilot previously characterized his proficiency as lacking.