What happened
During the downwind leg of the flight, air traffic control instructed the pilot to extend the down/wind leg by 2 miles due to traffic. Shortly thereafter, the pilot received instructions to fly straight toward the runway for a short approach from the Capital building and to expedite the arrival because of inbound traffic.
The pilot expressed concern to air traffic control regarding the short final instructions, noting the proximity of ships at the nearby port. During the short final phase, the pilot reported that the aircraft had no control. Although the pilot applied full power to the engines, the Cessna (type not specified in source) impacted the runway with the left wing first.
A witness located approximately 1,000 feet from the approach end of runway 9 observed the aircraft turning on a left turn for a short final approach. The observer noted the airplane continued to descend without any indication of recovery and heard the engine speed up before the left wing tip struck the surface. The aircraft then bounced to the right, striking the nose and the right main gear, which caused both main landing gear to separate. The aircraft slid backward approximately 300 feet on the runway before coming to a stop.
The 6 people onboard exited the aircraft without assistance and were not injured.
The investigation
An FAA Aviation Safety Inspector conducted a post-accident examination of the flight controls. The inspection established continuity of the flight controls and determined that the flight control systems were in operational condition.