It's no "dire" emergency in any series of Metroliner on one engine, the aircraft is easily managed and performs just as well as any other turboprop in an engine out scenario, the airplane has a bit of an undeserved reputation, so people who fly it like to bolster their ego by making it look like a beast to fly.
Spent many hours in the aircraft, and teaching in the sim as well, enjoyed it all...
Mayday vs Pan....
My employer calls for a Mayday with engine out..by definition it's a "Pan", by SOP it's a "mayday"..
Maybe the fellow in the Metroliner had other issues as well which caused him to make a "Mayday" call, or maybe it was his company's SOP...