What happened
During a return flight to the pilot's home base, a multiengine airplane was performing its final approach within the traffic pattern. According to the pilot, all flight instruments appeared normal during the en route phase and the approach. Upon touchdown, the aircraft made a firm landing that caused the right wing to drop and the propeller blades of the right engine to strike the runway surface.
In an attempt to recover, the pilot applied back pressure on the yoke, causing the aircraft to briefly lift off the ground before settling back onto the runway. During this sequence, the right main landing gear collapsed. The aircraft subsequently veered off the right side of the runway, where it collided with a weather antenna and a runway sign. There were no fatalities reported in the accident.
Findings
An inspection of the wreckage and the aircraft components revealed that the actuator for the right main landing gear had fractured. The investigation determined that the landing gear had retracted into the wheel well, a condition believed to be a direct result of the heavy impact during the landing. Evidence from witness accounts and the physical state of the wreckage suggests that the improper flare by the pilot led to the hard landing and the subsequent structural failure of the landing gear.