What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During takeoff aircraft crashed off the departure end of runway 35 past the runway safety area. Pilot was cleared for take-off and departed runway 35 @ golf. Pilot stated he took off the ground and everything was fine, and about 100 feet and positive rate of climb he retracted gear and at same instance he lost what appeared to be engine power. Throttle was at full power position, at that point he had to rely on airspeed to try and land aircraft as best as possible.
An on-site inspection of the engines were performed 27 March 2023 by a local aiframe and powerplant technican along with two FAA airworthiness inspectors on site at the request of the national transportation safety board investigator:
Rear engine was ground run for approximatley 10 minutes. The engine was able to start normally without any known issues. The engine was then set to the following paremeters:
1500 RPM
1800 RPM
2000 RPM
25 Inchces of manifold pressure.
No known mechancial or decrease in performance was annoated at this time.
Front engine was inspected only and a performance run was not performed due to damage to the aicraft and propeller:
Removed top spark plugs from engine. 3 from left side and 3 from right side of engine. Spark plugs looked clean, no evidence of malfunction, or wear. Tested cylinders on top of engine for compression with finger suction test. Mechanic lubed cylinders to perform better check of compression. Rotated propeller by hand to check compression. Top 6 cylinders had compression.
Front engine propeller rotated without any problems. Rotated manually to perform cylinder compression check.
Removed bottom spark plugs from engine. 3 from left side and 3 from right side of engine. Spark plugs looked clean, no evidence of malfunction, or wear.
Removed 6 engine valve covers. Gaskets were present, no sign of wear or leaks. Valves looked intact, all hardware present, normal operation. Tested by rotating propeller. All valves opened and closed.
Magneto firing test conducted. Left and right side magnetos were firing at 18 degrees. Front cone of propeller is bent, so timing indicator was not centered properly when performing test. Should have been firing at the 20 degrees position.
Rear and front engine showed 6 quarts of oil on dip stick when inspected. Should have 8 quarts as per aircraft tcds.
As the FAA filed it
DURING TAKEOFF AIRCRAFT CRASHED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 35 PAST THE RUNWAY SAFETY AREA. PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR TAKE-OFF AND DEPARTED RUNWAY 35 @ GOLF. PILOT STATED HE TOOK OFF THE GROUND AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE, AND ABOUT 100 FEET AND POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB HE RETRACTED GEAR AND AT SAME INSTANCE HE LOST WHAT APPEARED TO BE ENGINE POWER. THROTTLE WAS AT FULL POWER POSITION, AT THAT POINT HE HAD TO RELY ON AIRSPEED TO TRY AND LAND AIRCRAFT AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.
AN ON-SITE INSPECTION OF THE ENGINES WERE PERFORMED 27 MARCH 2023 BY A LOCAL AIFRAME AND POWERPLANT TECHNICAN ALONG WITH TWO FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS ON SITE AT THE REQUEST OF THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR:
REAR ENGINE WAS GROUND RUN FOR APPROXIMATLEY 10 MINUTES. THE ENGINE WAS ABLE TO START NORMALLY WITHOUT ANY KNOWN ISSUES. THE ENGINE WAS THEN SET TO THE FOLLOWING PAREMETERS:
1500 RPM
1800 RPM
2000 RPM
25 INCHCES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE.
NO KNOWN MECHANCIAL OR DECREASE IN PERFORMANCE WAS ANNOATED AT THIS TIME.
FRONT ENGINE WAS INSPECTED ONLY AND A PERFORMANCE RUN WAS NOT PERFORMED DUE TO DAMAGE TO THE AICRAFT AND PROPELLER:
REMOVED TOP SPARK PLUGS FROM ENGINE. 3 FROM LEFT SIDE AND 3 FROM RIGHT SIDE OF ENGINE. SPARK PLUGS LOOKED CLEAN, NO EVIDENCE OF MALFUNCTION, OR WEAR. TESTED CYLINDERS ON TOP OF ENGINE FOR COMPRESSION WITH FINGER SUCTION TEST. MECHANIC LUBED CYLINDERS TO PERFORM BETTER CHECK OF COMPRESSION. ROTATED PROPELLER BY HAND TO CHECK COMPRESSION. TOP 6 CYLINDERS HAD COMPRESSION.
FRONT ENGINE PROPELLER ROTATED WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. ROTATED MANUALLY TO PERFORM CYLINDER COMPRESSION CHECK.
REMOVED BOTTOM SPARK PLUGS FROM ENGINE. 3 FROM LEFT SIDE AND 3 FROM RIGHT SIDE OF ENGINE. SPARK PLUGS LOOKED CLEAN, NO EVIDENCE OF MALFUNCTION, OR WEAR.
REMOVED 6 ENGINE VALVE COVERS. GASKETS WERE PRESENT, NO SIGN OF WEAR OR LEAKS. VALVES LOOKED INTACT, ALL HARDWARE PRESENT, NORMAL OPERATION. TESTED BY ROTATING PROPELLER. ALL VALVES OPENED AND CLOSED.
MAGNETO FIRING TEST CONDUCTED. LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE MAGNETOS WERE FIRING AT 18 DEGREES. FRONT CONE OF PROPELLER IS BENT, SO TIMING INDICATOR WAS NOT CENTERED PROPERLY WHEN PERFORMING TEST. SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRING AT THE 20 DEGREES POSITION.
REAR AND FRONT ENGINE SHOWED 6 QUARTS OF OIL ON DIP STICK WHEN INSPECTED. SHOULD HAVE 8 QUARTS AS PER AIRCRAFT TCDS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.