ATL94LA113

It was reported that the right engine malfunctioned during the initial climb after takeoff, followed by a failure of the propeller to feather. The airplane made an off airport landing and was damaged. The owner was authorized by an inspector to remove the airplane to his home base for examination of the engine. Subsequently, the operator could not be contacted, and did not provide a report of the accident.

On June 4, 1994, at 1655 eastern daylight time, a Beech E18S, N70CB, collided with the ground, following a loss of engine power, about 3 miles southeast of Laurens County Airport near Laurens, South Carolina. The ferry flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage; the pilot and two passengers were seriously injured, and one passenger received minor injuries. The accident occurred during the initial takeoff attempt.

Reportedly, the pilot was unable to feather the right propeller, after the right engine failed to produce full power.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector visited the accident site. The owner was authorized to move the airplane to his home base for further examination of the engine. The inspector reported that numerous attempts to contact the pilot since the accident have been unsuccessful.

A telephone call was received by this office from a doctor at the Laurens County, South Carolina, hospital requesting an address for the pilot, and one of the passengers, involved in the accident. He stated that efforts to contact the men through the address he had, which was the same one held by this office, had been fruitless. Additionally, he stated that the men had failed to pay their medical bills.

Attempts to contact the pilot by this office have also been fruitless. The registered owner of the airplane stated, during telephone conversations, that the airplane actually belonged to the pilot. A letter requesting a report of the accident was sent to the pilot's address. The certified return receipt that accompanied the request was returned, signed. However, a report of the accident was not provided. Therefore, information contained in the NTSB Form 6120.4 was obtained from FAA records.