What happened
A private pilot student was undergoing dual instruction in preparation for a multiengine check ride when the aircraft impacted the ground approximately 1,500 feet east of runway 17. Witnesses observing the approach noted that the multiengine aircraft was flying significantly slower and lower than usual. One witness reported seeing the plane on an easterly heading near the midpoint of the runway at an altitude not much higher than a nearby hangar. During this period, the observer noted that the left propeller was not turning, after which the airplane began to yaw and roll to the left.
The investigation
Investigators examined the engines and found no anomalies that could have affected their performance. At the time of the accident, the left engine was shutdown and the left propeller was in a feathered position. The aircraft's landing gear, which is operated by hydraulic pressure from a single pump mounted on the left engine, was in the retracted position.