Incident Description
Following takeoff from Hartford-Brainard Airport, the aircraft experienced a critical powerplant malfunction while climbing. The left engine suffered a complete failure, while the right engine lost significant power. The pilot initiated an emergency landing procedure, but subsequently lost control of the aircraft. The airplane impacted terrain a few miles from the departure airport and was destroyed in the crash. All three individuals on board lost their lives.
Aircraft and Powerplant Issues
The accident investigation identified technical problems with both engines as the root cause. The left engine exhibited overheating of the piston and piston rings, while the right engine experienced erratic behavior of the external supercharger in the exhaust system. These issues culminated in a partial loss of power on the right engine and a complete failure of the left engine.
Probable Cause
According to the official findings, the probable cause of the accident was an uncontrolled collision with the ground resulting from technical issues with both engines. Contributing factors included the engine structure (overheated piston and rings), exhaust system irregularities (erratic external supercharger), undetermined loss of aircraft control, partial loss of power on one engine, complete engine failure on the other, and the necessity of an off-airport forced landing.