What happened
During a training session intended to familiarize a prospective new hire with the aircraft, a multi-engine airplane experienced a sudden loss of altitude on final approach. While the aircraft was approximately 100 feet above the ground, the pilot applicant attempted to adjust the pitch of the aircraft. This maneuver caused the nose of the plane to pitch downward significantly.
In an attempt to recover from the descent, both the check pilot and the pilot applicant applied back pressure on the yokes. Despite these efforts to arrest the downward movement, the aircraft struck the ground before reaching the runway. The impact caused substantial damage to the fuselage and the right wing of the aircraft.
Findings
According to reports from the check pilot, there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions present in the aircraft prior to the accident that would have prevented standard operation. The incident was triggered by an excessive nose-down pitch following a manual adjustment by the pilot applicant.