Introduction
A post-crash fire destroyed an aircraft after it landed hard and short of the runway. The impact collapsed the right main landing gear. Both pilots were uninjured.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that on short final, a muffled 'pop' was heard and the aircraft yawed to the right. Directional control was regained, and the aircraft landed hard. The hard landing occurred short of the runway, collapsing the right main landing gear. A fire ensued, destroying the aircraft.
Investigation
A post-accident inspection failed to disclose any pre-impact failure or malfunction of the aircraft or engines. Evidence from right engine propeller slash marks on the runway indicated that the engine was producing power at touchdown.
Probable Cause
The official findings identified two occurrences. Occurrence #1: in-flight collision with terrain/water during the approach phase (VFR pattern final approach). The findings were improper descent by the pilot in command, delayed pull-up, and failure to maintain airspeed. Occurrence #2: main gear collapsed during the landing flare/touchdown phase, caused by overload of the main landing gear.