Incident Overview
A freight charter aircraft was in cruise at 20,000 ft (FL200) approximately 150 km southeast of Mackay when the left engine lost power. The crew was unable to restart the engine and proceeded to land on runway 14 at Mackay.
Landing Sequence
During the approach, the pilot initiated a single-engine go-around after developing the mistaken impression that the landing gear was not extended. Control was temporarily lost but regained, and the aircraft touched down on the flight strip to the left of the runway, about 500 m before the runway end. During the landing roll, the landing gear collapsed, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Official Findings
The investigation determined that the engine power loss resulted from a failure of the fuel pump high pressure relief valve. The pilot's decision to initiate action to avoid a wheels-up landing was prompted by the belief that the landing gear was still retracted. This action was initiated too late in the landing approach for a successful outcome.