Crash of a Cessna 421C Golden Eagle III in Albuquerque: 6 killed

The pilot was flying his wife and her 4 friends to Aspen, CO for a ski vacation. Witnesses reported that during takeoff, the right baggage door opened. They observed the aircraft turn left onto a downwind with the landing gear extended. Eight witnesses reported the engines were producing power of varying degrees; two stated the left engine stopped running and two reported the right engine had a reduction of power or rpm. In the vicinity of where the pilot would have made a base turn, the aircraft entered a left descending turn, collided with the tops of trees beside a road, impacted in the roadway on an easterly heading, slid to a stop and burned. An exam revealed the gear was down, the left propeller was feathered and there was evidence the right baggage door was open. The throttle quadrant was found with the left throttle 2/3 forward, the right throttle full aft, the left propeller control in the feather position, the right prop control full forward and the mixtures at or near their forward positions. The flight characteristics of the aircraft were considered normal with the baggage door open. All six occupants were killed.