What happened
While performing an initial climb in challenging weather conditions—characterized by snow, low visibility, and gusting winds—the Aerostar experienced a rhythmic throb or surge in the engines. Shortly after these sounds were noted, the aircraft descended abruptly and struck the ground. There were no survivors reported in the crash.
Findings
Post-accident inspections of the wreckage revealed that the fuel selector switch for the right engine was set to the "X-FEED" position at the time of the impact. Investigators recovered several documents from the site, including two different airplane flight manuals and a checklist. One manual, which belonged to a different model of the aircraft previously owned by the operator, lacked specific warnings regarding the crossfeed system during takeoff. The official FAA-approved manual for the aircraft specifically stated that the crossfeed position should only be utilized during level, coordinated flight and warned that using this setting during other flight phases could cause engine power interruptions due to fuel supply unporting.
Discrepancies were also found in the pilot's operational procedures. While the official manufacturer's checklist required verifying that fuel selectors were in the "ON" position and that the crossfeed light was extinguished before takeoff, the pilot's personal checklist had omitted the requirement to verify the fuel selector position.