MANASSAS, VA, USA
N98DS
BEECH A60
WITNESSES REPORTED THE ACFT TOOK OFF AND CLIMBED TO ABOUT 300 FT WHILE IN A WIDE LEFT TURN. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE WINGS WERE ROCKING AND ERRATIC ENGINE SOUNDS WERE NOTED. THE ACFT WAS TURNING DOWNWIND WHEN IT ABRUPTLY PITCHED DOWN, ROLLED LEFT UNTIL INVERTED, DESCENDED AND CRASH. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF MALFUNCTION, ALTHOUGH THE LEFT PROP HAD LESS ROTATIONAL DAMAGE THAN THE RIGHT PROP. EXAMINATION OF ACFT RECORDS REVEALED THE ACFT WAS INACTIVE FOR ABOUT 9 YRS UNTIL IT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE LESS THAN A YEAR BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE ACFT ACCUMULATED ABOUT 17 HRS SINCE IT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. THE PLT STATED TO A WITNESS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THAT HE HAD NOT DONE SINGLE ENGINE OPERATION IN THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS OVERLOADED MORE THAN 200 LBS.
A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM ENGINE CONTROL SPEED AFTER A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER OF THE LEFT ENGINE FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. THE PILOT'S INEXPERIENCE IN TYPE OF AIRCRAFT AND AN OVER MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT AIRCRAFT WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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