A C340 PRACTICING LNDG AT CHS; SC; HAS AN ENG FAIL ON SHORT FINAL RESULTING IN A HARD LNDG AND ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative

ACFT WAS BEING FLOWN UNDER ATC FROM CHARLESTON INTL FOR IFR CURRENCY AND HAD ACCOMPLISHED 2 ILS APCHS (LOW APCH) TO RWY 15. A THIRD APCH WAS PLANNED BUT A DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE DRIFT RESULTED IN A 30 DEG HDG OFFSET DEVELOPED IN THE ON-BOARD SLAVED SYS AND PLT ELECTED NOT TO FLY THE APCH USING THE COPLT'S DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE. ATC HAD DIRECTED A CLB TO 2500 FT (2460 FT AGL) AND WAS PROVIDING VECTORS FOR THE ILS APCH WHEN THE PLT REQUESTED A RETURN TO THE FIELD AND RPTED THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE OFFSET. 'NO GYRO' VECTORS WERE OFFERED BY ATC; DECLINED BY THE PLTS AS BOTH MAGNETIC COMPASS AND COPLT'S DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE WERE OPERATIONAL. ATC DIRECTED A VECTOR TOWARD THE FILED. AT THE TIME OF THE ILS APCH TERMINATION THE ACFT WAS AT 2500 FT AND TRAVELING AT ABOUT 180 MPH; DURING THE TURN TOWARD THE FIELD PWR WAS REDUCED TO 24 INCHES TO REDUCE THE SPD TO A 130 MPH APCH SPD. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TURN ATC RPTED THE FIELD AT 10 O'CLOCK POS AND 5 MI; THE PLT REMINDED ATC OF THE 2500 FT ASSIGNED ALT AND WAS IMMEDIATELY CLRED FOR THE APCH TO RWY 21. A SECOND PWR REDUCTION TO 18 INCHES WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND APCH FLAPS DROPPED; WHEN THE SPD DROPPED TO 160 MPH FULL FLAPS WERE DROPPED AND LNDG GEAR LOWERED; THE ACFT WAS THEN PLACED IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND A 130 MPH APCH SPD WAS STABILIZED. THE LNDG CHKLIST WAS VERIFIED/COMPLETED WITH PROPS FLAT; MIXTURE RICH; FUEL FROM THE MAINS; (FUEL WAS USED FROM THE MAINS DURING THE ENTIRE FLT) AUX FUEL PUMPS ON LOW AND 3 GREENS FOR GEAR DOWN. THE DSCNT CONTINUED UNTIL APPROX 3/4 OF A MI FROM THE RWY WITH VASI INDICATING A SLIGHTLY ABOVE GLIDE PATH ALT AT WHICH TIME THE PWR WAS INCREASED TO 24 INCHES AND NOSE RAISED TO CHK THE DSCNT AND MAINTAIN 130 MPH. THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY STARTED A L BANK WHEN PWR WAS INCREASED WITH THE DSCNT SHOWED BUT NOT STOPPED. R RUDDER WAS APPLIED; FULL PWR APPLIED TO BOTH ENGS WITHOUT A RESPONSE FROM THE L ENG. THE ACFT SPD AND ALT BLED OFF VERY QUICKLY; PWR WAS REDUCED ON THE R ENG AS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN HEADING CTL AS THE RUDDER WAS FULL OVER. THE FLT CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 20-30 SECONDS AFTER LOSS OF THE L ENG NOTED; UNTIL THE SPD BLED OFF AND THE ACFT STALLED ABOUT 4-8 FT ABOVE THE RWY THRESHOLD. THE ACFT LANDED R WING DOWN; NOSE UP AND ROLLED TO A STOP. THE L ENG STARTER WAS ENGAGED AND THE ENG CAME BACK ON LINE WITH NORMAL ENG INST READINGS; THE ACFT WAS TAXIED TO THE RAMP. ATC WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE INFLT PWR FAILURE ON THE L ENG BUT WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ENG OUT/RESTART ON THE RWY. NOTIFICATION TO ATC; ATTEMPTS TO FEATHER THE PROP AND CLEAN UP THE ACFT WERE NOT ACCOMPLISHED DUE TO THE SHORT DURATION OF TROUBLED FLT (20-30 SECONDS) AND PLTS ATTN TO PROB IDENT AND FLYING THE ACFT. THE COPLT'S SEAT WAS OCCUPIED BY A CURRENT INST RATED MULTI-ENG PLT WITH OVER 420 LOGGED HRS IN MULTI-ENG ACFT. THE DAMAGE WAS NOTED DURING A VISIT TO THE ACFT THE FOLLOWING DAY TO ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE. THE FULL EXTENT IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME HOWEVER DAMAGE TO THE R PROP (PROP STRIKE); POPPED RIVETS; WRINKLED SKIN ON BOTH WINGS AND CUT TIRE ON THE L MAIN IS EVIDENT. THE REASON FOR THE ENG FAILURE IS YET TO BE DETERMINED.