With an engine making partial power after taking off to the north, going west is your only real choice. Going east takes you right into rising terrain. Straight ahead takes you to a built up area. Getting back to the airport by making a turn left is your best chance of survival. If you don’t make it to the airport, you might survive a graceful ditching. All this in the dark is tough. This time the chances were slim and none.
Too bad. This is an interesting aircraft.
They didn’t take off from HMB.
We drove along Airport Road from Moss Beach to Princeton right parallel to the runway. I see what you are saying.