During the take-off roll the aircraft had reached a speed of about 85 knots when the left engine suddenly lost power. The pilot immediately closed both throttles and applied braking, but was unable to prevent the aircraft over-running the 900 metre strip. The landing gear was torn out before the aircraft came to rest. Initial investigation revealed that the take-off attempt had been made with the fuel tanks selected to the auxiliary positions, and these tanks were about one quarter full. It is probable that the fuel ports became uncovered as a result of the take-off acceleration, allowing the ingestion of air to the fuel system. The pilot normally followed a written checklist, but had omitted to use it on this occasion. After checking the fuel system during the before take-off vital actions, he had inadvertently left the fuel selectors on the auxiliary positions.
