What happened
On the scheduled flight OH444, a twin-engine aircraft was performing a commercial service from Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Airport (Greater Cincinnati) toward Nashville. The flight was carrying one pilot and seven passengers at the time of the accident.
During the takeoff roll on runway 18, which spanned approximately 1,500 to 2,000 feet, the pilot initiated rotation. Shortly after liftoff, while the aircraft was at an altitude of roughly 150 feet, the right engine experienced a loss of power. This malfunction caused the airplane to enter a right-hand turn and lose altitude. The aircraft subsequently struck a field situated about 1,188 feet west of runway 18. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the plane and eight fatalities.
Findings
The investigation determined that the crash was caused by a loss of control following a partial power loss immediately after takeoff. It was noted that the accident might have been prevented if the pilot had opted to reject the takeoff or had properly configured the landing gear and flaps.
Several contributing factors were identified, including the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft's emergency procedures and a potential preoccupation with managing the engine failure. Additionally, the investigation highlighted the pilot's inexperience with multiengine operations, an accelerated departure process, insufficient training, and deficiencies in both company management and FAA oversight regarding the operator.