Accident Sequence
The airplane departed and was climbing to an assigned altitude when the pilot informed an air traffic controller of a loss of engine power on the left engine. The pilot received radar vectors back to the departure airport and reported the airport in sight. No further communication was received. Radar data showed the airplane at approximately 825 feet from and 200 feet above the landing runway threshold. Seventeen seconds later, it was at 100 feet above ground level and left of the intended landing runway. The last radar return, five seconds after that, placed the airplane at 200 feet above ground level. A witness observed the airplane near the landing runway. The airplane pitched straight up, stalled, spun to the left three times before colliding with the ground and catching fire.
Postcrash Examination
Postcrash examination of the airframe and flight controls revealed no anomalies. The left engine was disassembled; all connecting rods were intact except for the No. 2 connecting rod. Metallurgical examination of that rod revealed that the bearing failed, most likely due to a progressive delamination of the bearing.
Stalling Characteristics
Review of the airplane flight manual indicated a minimum of 300 feet of altitude is required to recover from power-off stalls at 7,500 pounds for both forward and aft center of gravity. The stall speed with landing gear and flaps up and 0 degrees angle of bank is 83 miles per hour (72 knots). With landing gear extended and flaps down, the stall speed is 73 miles per hour (63 knots).
Probable Cause
The probable cause, as stated in official findings, was the pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a single-engine approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the total loss of power in the left engine due to a failed No. 2 connecting rod bearing.