What happened
During the final approach phase, the pilot reported that he was unable to extend the landing gear. At some point while on approach, the weather conditions improved enough for the pilot to break out into visual flight rules (VFR) conditions. The pilot stated that he had the airport in sight when the aircraft struck a 160,000-volt power line.
During the crash sequence, the left main landing gear was broken off. This damage made it impossible to substantiate any prior mechanical malfunction regarding the gear extension system.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the physical evidence recovered from the crash site. Specifically, investigators examined the landing gear assembly after the impact. The left main gear was found broken off, which prevented a thorough examination of the mechanism to determine if a pre-existing failure had occurred before the accident.
Findings
Contributing factors included the pilot's inability to extend the landing gear and the subsequent strike with a power line. The weather conditions initially prevented visual reference, but improved during the approach. The broken left main gear obscured potential mechanical causes for the gear extension failure.