What happened
During the initial takeoff roll, the left engine of the aircraft began producing black smoke. Air traffic control notified the pilot of this developing situation; however, the pilot did not acknowledge the warning and proceeded with the takeoff sequence. Once the aircraft reached flight altitude, it was observed leveling off before initiating a left turn. The flight ended when the aircraft struck the ground roughly two miles west of the departure airport.
Findings
Post-accident investigations into the left engine revealed no mechanical evidence of a malfunction. While the engine appeared to be in working order, the pilot's flight experience was noted as being limited, with only 12 hours of flight time in this specific aircraft type. The primary factor in the sequence of events was the pilot's decision to continue the takeoff despite being alerted to engine smoke by the tower.