What happened
Prior to the flight, the pilot attempted to address an unidentified fuel leak on the multiengine airplane. Although the pilot lacked a mechanic certificate and the aircraft's annual inspection was two years out of date, the pilot informed a witness that the leak had been repaired. During pre-flight operations, a significant fuel stain was noted on the ramp, though the total volume of leaked fuel remained unquantified.
During the flight, the pilot aborted the initial takeoff attempt. After communicating with the tower controller to indicate that no assistance was required, the pilot was cleared for a second takeoff. Shortly after entering the initial climb, the pilot declared an emergency and received clearance to land on any available runway. Witnesses observed the aircraft in a left bank at an altitude between 400 and 800 feet, appearing to turn toward an intersecting runway. During this maneuver, the bank angle exceeded 90 degrees and the nose dropped, leading to a terrain impact. There were zero fatalities and zero injuries reported in the immediate sequence of the crash.
Findings
An investigation of the flight controls and engines showed no mechanical anomalies that would have hindered standard operation. While the fuel valves were positioned in a manner suggesting the left engine's fuel supply had been shut off, the left main valve motor was found to operate only intermittently. Although the fuel level in the left engine injection servo was lower than that in the right engine, engine temperature readings remained consistent across both engines throughout the flight. The investigation concluded that the increased bank angle and subsequent nose-down attitude were consistent with a loss of control, though the specific reason for the emergency declaration and the return to the airport could not be determined.