Sounds like a stuff up on his part. The presence of the nosewheel on the freeway indicates the gear was still down. Mayday declaration can wait till you've got the gear up and positive rate of climb. Take off flap should not come up till 122 kts. The aircraft
should not have been real heavy with only five on board. If the prop feathered OK there should have been no reason for it not to climb. Temperature at that time of the morning should not have been an issue. Just my thoughts.
