What happened
During a local flight conducted to renew an Airworthiness certificate, an aircraft departed from Southend Airport. While the plane was in its initial climb phase, the crew experienced a technical failure involving the fourth engine. In response to the malfunction, the crew attempted to shut down the engine and feather the propeller.
Following these actions, the aircraft suffered a loss of control and began descending rapidly. The aircraft crashed into an open field situated in the vicinity of the airport. Upon impact, the airframe broke into two separate pieces. The incident resulted in two fatalities among individuals on the ground, while all three crew members sustained injuries during the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the event concluded that the primary factor was the loss of control that occurred during the takeoff sequence after the process of feathering the number four propeller had been started.