Incident Overview
The airplane experienced in-flight icing conditions during the flight. The pilot decided to divert to an airport with the intention of descending to a lower altitude to remove the ice accumulation.
Sequence of Events
While executing an instrument approach, the pilot communicated with the tower controller about the ice situation, indicating that the decision to land would depend on whether the ice detached from the aircraft. As the airplane emerged from the clouds, tower personnel observed what initially appeared to be a missed approach procedure. However, the aircraft then suddenly descended steeply toward the runway.
The tower supervisor noticed that the landing gear had not been extended. At an altitude of approximately 75 to 100 feet above the runway, the supervisor advised the pilot to execute a go-around. Despite this instruction, the airplane continued its descent. Upon impact with the runway, the landing gear were only partially deployed, and the propellers and airframe struck the runway surface.
Subsequently, the pilot attempted to abort the landing. The damaged airplane lifted off again, climbing to the right before stalling and plunging nose-first into the ground.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be the pilot's improper decision to abort the landing with a damaged airplane. Contributing factors included the damage sustained during the runway impact, the pilot's failure to lower the landing gear prior to the landing attempt, and the in-flight icing conditions.