LaFayette

The airplane departed and was climbing to an assigned altitude when the pilot informed an air traffic controller of a loss of engine power on the left engine. The pilot received radar vectors back to the departure airport and reported the airport in sight. There was no further communication with the controller. Review of radar data revealed that the airplane was about 825 feet from and 200 feet above the landing runway threshold. Seventeen seconds later, the airplane was at 100 feet above ground level and left of the intended landing runway. The last radar return was 5 seconds later, and the airplane was at 200 feet above ground level. A witness observed the airplane in the vicinity of landing runway. The airplane pitched straight up, stalled, spun to the left three times before it collided with the ground and caught fire. Postcrash examination of the airframe and flight controls revealed no anomalies. The left engine was disassembled and all connecting rods were intact except for the No.2 connecting rod. Metallugical examination of the connecting rod revealed that the bearing failed, most likely due to a progressive delamination of the bearing. Review of the airplane flight manual revealed a minimum of 300 feet of altitude is required to recover from power-off stalls with 7500 pounds at both forward and aft center of gravity. The stall speed with the landing gear and flaps up with 0 degree angle of bank is 83 miles per hour or 72 knots. The stall speed with the landing gear extended and the flaps down is 73 miles per hours or 63 knots.

During the weather briefing the pilot was advised that VFR flight was not recommended due to low ceilings and poor visibility. The pilot responded he had to go to Fort Payne VFR because they have no instrument approach. A Jeppesen US (lo) 29 low alt enroute chart was found at the wreckage that had a line drawn traversing southwest out of the Chattanooga VOR between V-115 and V-115e. The MEA for these airways was 4,000 ft msl. Prior to departure the pilot as advised that tops were reported 4,500 ft with another layer at 9,000 ft. The pilot responded he was going to Fort Payne and they had no approach there. Approximately 2-1/2 min after takeoff the pilot reported "...looks like about 1500 is all we're gonna get right now." About 7 min later the pilot reported they were still VFR but might want to turn around. The aircraft impacted the top of a north/south ridge line at an elevation of 2,020 feet. The copilot was part of the company's management team. A passenger was seriously injured while six other occupants were killed.