What happened
The pilot was operating a twin-engine aircraft under instrument flight rules when weather conditions included visibility of one-half mile in fog. Upon approaching the airport, the pilot initiated a landing but realized too late that the touchdown point was significantly long on the runway. To avoid a hard landing or overrun, the pilot executed a go-around procedure.
Following the initial missed approach, the pilot attempted a second landing. During this sequence, the pilot failed to lower the landing gear before touching down. As a result, the propellers struck the runway surface, causing severe damage to one of the propellers. Despite the mechanical impact, the pilot managed to abort the landing again and initiated another go-around.
During this third climb-out phase, the aircraft lost airspeed and stalled. The loss of control led directly to the aircraft crashing. No further details regarding injuries or specific airport identifiers were provided in the source text.
The investigation
The available source material does not contain detailed mechanical examination findings beyond the immediate observation that one propeller was severely damaged by striking the runway. There is no information regarding post-accident inspection of the airframe, engine components, or flight data recorders.
Findings
The primary contributing factor to the accident was the pilot's failure to lower the landing gear during the second landing attempt. This omission resulted in propeller contact with the runway surface. The subsequent stall during the third go-around phase indicates a loss of airspeed control, likely exacerbated by the configuration changes and potential drag from the damaged propeller or improper flap/gear settings.
The weather conditions, specifically visibility of one-half mile in fog, presented a challenging environment for visual reference during the approach. However, the critical error was procedural: forgetting to extend the landing gear. This sequence of events highlights the importance of strict adherence to checklists during high-workload phases such as go-arounds and missed approaches.
Safety message
Pilots must rigorously adhere to established checklists, particularly during non-normal operations like go-arounds. The omission of critical configuration steps, such as lowering the landing gear, can lead to catastrophic outcomes. Maintaining situational awareness and managing workload are essential when executing multiple approach attempts in low-visibility conditions.