Incident Overview
On April 7, 2017, at 1250 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 414, registered as N56H, was substantially damaged during a landing accident near Atlanta, Georgia. The airplane was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The airline transport pilot was not injured.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that while approaching for landing in gusting wind conditions, the landing runway was changed from runway 26 to runway 32. He reconfigured the airplane for the new approach. While established on a 1-mile final at about 400 ft above field elevation, the controller cleared another airplane for takeoff. The pilot stated that he was preparing to conduct his before landing checks, and the other airplane on the runway presented a “big distraction.” He considered conducting a go-around but, concerned about obstacle avoidance during the go-around, chose to continue the approach.
The pilot indicated that he thought he extended the landing gear but could not recall performing his normal call-outs or confirming the before-landing checklist items, including the fuel selector, landing gear, and flaps. During the flare, he felt the airplane settle more than normal and attempted to pull up, but the airplane settled firmly onto the runway and skidded to a stop.
Witness and Physical Evidence
A witness reported seeing the airplane's landing gear retracted as it approached the runway. The airplane landed with the gear up, causing the propellers to impact the runway, after which the airplane skidded to a stop.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector conducted a post-accident examination, revealing structural damage to the fuselage and damage to both engines and propellers. Two sets of propeller slash marks were noted in the runway from the initial impact point to where the airplane came to rest, a distance of about 650 ft.