What happened
While operating under Part 91 regulations to position the aircraft for a corporate mission, the pilot attempted to land at the destination airport. During the landing sequence, the pilot aborted the approach. Witnesses observed the multi-engine aircraft flying at a low altitude, approximately 20 feet above the ground, positioned to the left of the runway centerline. At the time of observation, the aircraft's landing gear was retracted. One witness noted that the engines appeared to be at reduced power before a sudden application of full power was heard, accompanied by a cloud of dust.
Radio communications intercepted on the unicom frequency indicated the pilot was performing an emergency go-around. Following the climb to roughly 100 feet, the aircraft descended, striking utility poles before ultimately impacting a saltwater canal.
Physical evidence at the runway included parallel propeller strike marks measuring 109 and 113 feet in length, which aligned with the engine centerline measurements of the aircraft type. The propeller blades exhibited significant damage, including bending, twisting, and missing tips. Notably, no marks from the landing gear were found on the runway surface.
Findings
An inspection of the cockpit revealed that the landing gear lever was in the retracted position, and the circuit breaker for the landing gear extension warning horn had been tripped. Although the main landing gear was found in the retracted and locked position following the crash, the gear was able to be extended via the emergency handle during post-impact testing. The investigation determined that the landing gear was retracted during the aborted landing attempt.