What happened
During a training session, the student pilot successfully completed three full-stop landings. Following the fourth takeoff, the flight instructor initiated a simulated left engine failure at an altitude of approximately 600 feet above ground level. The student pilot executed the necessary emergency checklists and prepared the aircraft for landing.
As the aircraft approached the runway at an altitude between 50 and 100 feet, the pilot determined the plane was too high and attempted to perform a go-around. Upon advancing the throttles to full power, the pilot found that neither engine provided any response. To manage the descent, the instructor pushed the aircraft's nose down, and the pilot continued the approach to the runway.
Upon touchdown, the nose landing gear and the right main landing gear collapsed. The impact triggered a post-impact fire that destroyed the majority of the aircraft.
Findings
An investigation into the landing gear failure determined that the components collapsed due to a bending overload, which is consistent with a hard landing. Investigators were unable to determine why both engines failed to respond to the power inputs because the post-crash fire caused extensive damage to the engines.