Accident Overview
The pilot of an airplane was troubleshooting a problem with the fuel flow system. During the preflight run-up, he noticed that the fuel flow gauge for the right engine was reading too high. He decided to take off to see if he could determine the problem in flight.
Flight Details
Once airborne, the gauge indicated a value that the pilot considered excessive. Consequently, he returned to the airport to land. The pilot made a no-flap approach with power set above ten inches of manifold pressure. This configuration does not allow activation of the airplane's gear-up warning system.
Landing Sequence
During the landing flare, the pilot reduced power, which activated the gear-up warning horn. The pilot mistakenly thought that this was the stall warning horn and lowered the nose to land. The airplane subsequently collided with the runway.