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cargo were unloaded. While these operations were being performed, a station agent called First Officer Flanigan's attention to the left engine which was leaking oil. First Officer Flanigan left the aircraft and examined the engine by means of a flashlight. He returned to the cockpit and advised Captain Craig that everything seemed to be all right and that no more Oil was present than one would normally find on an engine. Further, not enough oil had leaked to cause any to be added. The captain, who had looked at the left engine from the cockpit window, agreed that the leak Has not sufficient cause to interrupt the flight.
When the refueling was completed and the flight was ready to go, a normal engine start was made and the airplane was taxied to the takeoff point. Cockpit and magneto checks were normal and the takeoff was made at 2016 from runway 30. The gross weight of the aircraft at the time of takeoff was 24,071 pounds, which was below the maximum allowable gross takeoff weight of 25,346 pounds. The aircraft was loaded within prescribed limits with respect to the center of gravity. There were 17 passengers, including one infant, on board.
A few seconds after the aircraft became airborne and the first power reduction was made, a loud explosion was heard and fire was observed in the left engine. The landing gear and flaps were in the up position at the time. Captain Craig immediately pushed the feathering button to feather the left propeller, determined that the right engine was operating on METO power (maximum except takeoff), and closed the left throttle. He then took control of the aircraft. The altitude at that time was 550 feet m.s.l. (approximately 300 feet above the ground), the airspeed was 91 knots, and the aircraft was in a right turn. The captain stopped the turn and attempted to climb or at least to hold what altitude he had. He then asked Mr. Flanigan to check and see if the gear and flaps were up and if the carburetor heat control was in the cold position. This was done and the first officer said, "I will take care of the fire in the left engine," and reached for the fire controls box.
By then the aircraft was buffeting badly and the captain asked the first officer to see if the left propeller had feathered properly because he thought the buffeting might be caused by a slowly windmilling propeller.
Flanigan looked out of the left window and placed his hand on the feathering button. He then reported that the propeller was feathered. The cowl flaps were checked and found to be in the trail position. With the buffeting becoming worse and the aircraft losing altitude, the right throttle was moved forward for full power. In a short tune Captain Craig said that he knew that a crash landing was imminent and seeing the silhouettes of oil derricks ahead and above him, he turned the airplane to the left in an effort to avoid them. The airplane struck the ground almost immediately.
The place of impact was about 1-1/2 miles north of the Santa Maria Airport at an elevation of 230 feet m.s.l. With the aircraft in a left-wing-low attitude, first ground contact was made by the left wing tip. The aircraft cartwheeled to the left on its nose and in doing so the left elevator struck a 12,000-volt powerline causing power to be disrupted over a wide area; there was no fire. The aircraft came to rest on the bottom of its fuselage after sliding rearward approximately 65 feet on a small embankment near a macadam road; it was heading 145 degrees magnetic.
