Accident Summary
The airplane was destroyed on impact with trees and terrain after takeoff. A post-impact fire ensued.
Witness Accounts
A courier who loaded the airplane stated that he put 14 cases and 5 bags into it and that everything took place as it normally does. A witness reported hearing a very low flying aircraft come directly over their house, sounding very revved up like a chainsaw cutting through a tree at high speed.
Flight Path
Radar returns depicted the airplane making a horseshoe-shaped flight path. After takeoff, it executed a left climbing turn to a maximum altitude of 2,479 feet, followed by a descending left turn thereafter.
Pilot Information
The operator reported that the pilot had flown approximately 75 hours in the same make and model airplane and about 190 hours in the last 90 days. The airplane was certified with a minimum flight crew of one pilot and was not equipped with a backup attitude gyro, nor was it required to be. Subsequently, the operator transitioned from single-pilot operation of their Fairchild Metroliner to including a first officer.
Weather Conditions
Weather at the time was: wind 090 degrees at 7 knots; visibility 1 statute mile; present weather light rain and mist; sky condition overcast at 200 feet; temperature 9 degrees C; dew point 9 degrees C.
Examination Findings
No pre-impact engine anomalies were found. The NTSB's Materials Laboratory Division examined the annunciator panel and recovered light assemblies. One assembly, identified as the right-hand AC BUS light, had two bulbs: one filament was stretched, deformed, and fractured; the other was stretched and deformed. The airplane manufacturer stated that the left-hand and right-hand attitude gyros are powered by the 115-volt alternating current essential bus. Two inverters are installed, with one used at a time selected by the inverter select switch located on the right-hand switch panel.
Probable Cause
The NTSB determined the probable cause to be: The indicated failure of the right hand AC bus during takeoff with low ceiling. The factors were the low ceiling, night, and the excessive workload the pilot experienced on takeoff with an electrical failure without a second in command.