What happened
On the night of March 6, a twin engine airplane operating a cargo flight departed from Detroit-Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti. The flight was scheduled to deliver various goods to Akron-Canton Airport. The aircraft was operated by a crew consisting of two pilots.
Shortly after departing the runway, the flight crew identified mechanical difficulties and issued an emergency declaration. During the approach to the destination, the crew performed two low altitude passes in front of the control tower, which appeared to be an attempt to address issues related to the landing gear. At 0008LT, the aircraft performed a belly landing on runway 05R. While the two pilots were able to evacuate the aircraft without injury, the aircraft sustained damage that rendered it a total loss.
Findings
- The crew encountered technical problems during the initial climb phase.
- The landing gear failed to function correctly, leading to the decision to perform low passes.
- The aircraft was destroyed due to the impact of the belly landing.