What happened
During a landing sequence at an airport, a Super King Air 200 experienced a series of unstable approaches to runway 23. During the initial approach, the aircraft was observed oscillating or "fish-tailing" at an altitude of approximately 30 feet above the runway surface. While the aircraft initially appeared to stabilize and continued past the control tower to initiate a go-around, the pilot notified air traffic control of an engine issue. Specifically, the pilot reported that the left engine was producing excessive power that could not be reduced.
Following this communication, the aircraft entered a left-hand pattern to attempt a second approach to runway 23. During this second descent, the aircraft suddenly pitched up and rolled into an inverted position. The plane then dove into the ground in the grass area located to the left of the runway, where it subsequently caught fire. There were no survivors reported from the impact.
Findings
Post-accident investigations of the aircraft's engines, propellers, and mechanical systems revealed no evidence of malfunctions or abnormal conditions that would have prevented the normal operation of the plane prior to the crash. No radar data was available to track the specific flight path of the two landing attempts. Technical documentation for the aircraft indicated that the stall speed under specific configurations, such as gear extended and 40-degree flaps, was 84 knots.