Accident Sequence
The pilot of the airplane entered the left downwind leg of the traffic pattern to land to the north. Surface winds were from the west with gusts to 15 knots. Radar data showed the airplane on final approach approximately 1.16 miles from the runway at about 210 feet above the ground. The airplane then crashed in a pasture south of the airport in a slight left-wing-low attitude, coming to rest upright. A postcrash fire consumed the cockpit and cabin.
Survivor Account
The pilot's wife, who was seated in the aft cabin and survived the accident, recalled that conditions were choppy and that they descended quickly. She reported hearing two distinct warning horns in the cockpit prior to the crash. The airplane was equipped with two aural warning systems: a landing gear warning horn and a stall warning horn.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the landing gear were in transit toward the retracted position at impact, indicating that the pilot was attempting to execute a go-around before the accident. The pilot did not possess a current flight review at the time of the accident. Examination of the wreckage, including a test run of both engines, showed no evidence of a pre-existing mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The pilot made no distress calls to air traffic controllers before the crash.
Probable Cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and altitude on final approach, resulting in an impact with terrain short of the airport, is listed as the probable cause.