Narrative:

Aircraft was being flown under ATC from charleston international for IFR currency and had accomplished 2 ILS approachs (low approach) to runway 15. A third approach was planned but a directional gyroscope drift resulted in a 30 degree heading offset developed in the on-board slaved system and pilot elected not to fly the approach using the copilot's directional gyroscope. ATC had directed a climb to 2500 ft (2460 ft AGL) and was providing vectors for the ILS approach when the pilot requested a return to the field and reported the directional gyroscope offset. 'No gyro' vectors were offered by ATC, declined by the pilots as both magnetic compass and copilot's directional gyroscope were operational. ATC directed a vector toward the filed. At the time of the ILS approach termination the aircraft was at 2500 ft and traveling at about 180 mph, during the turn toward the field power was reduced to 24 inches to reduce the speed to a 130 mph approach speed. Almost immediately after the turn ATC reported the field at 10 O'clock position and 5 mi, the pilot reminded ATC of the 2500 ft assigned altitude and was immediately cleared for the approach to runway 21. A second power reduction to 18 inches was accomplished and approach flaps dropped, when the speed dropped to 160 mph full flaps were dropped and landing gear lowered, the aircraft was then placed in a nose down attitude and a 130 mph approach speed was stabilized. The landing checklist was verified/completed with propellers flat, mixture rich, fuel from the mains, (fuel was used from the mains during the entire flight) auxiliary fuel pumps on low and 3 greens for gear down. The descent continued until approximately 3/4 of a mi from the runway with VASI indicating a slightly above glide path altitude at which time the power was increased to 24 inches and nose raised to check the descent and maintain 130 mph. The aircraft immediately started a left bank when power was increased with the descent showed but not stopped. Right rudder was applied, full power applied to both engines without a response from the left engine. The aircraft speed and altitude bled off very quickly, power was reduced on the right engine as necessary to maintain heading control as the rudder was full over. The flight continued for about 20-30 seconds after loss of the left engine noted, until the speed bled off and the aircraft stalled about 4-8 ft above the runway threshold. The aircraft landed right wing down, nose up and rolled to a stop. The left engine starter was engaged and the engine came back on line with normal engine instrument readings, the aircraft was taxied to the ramp. ATC was not notified of the in-flight power failure on the left engine but was made aware of the engine out/restart on the runway. Notification to ATC, attempts to feather the propeller and clean up the aircraft were not accomplished due to the short duration of troubled flight (20-30 seconds) and pilots attention to problem identify and flying the aircraft. The copilot's seat was occupied by a current instrument rated multi-engine pilot with over 420 logged hours in multi-engine aircraft. The damage was noted during a visit to the aircraft the following day to attempt to determine the cause of the engine failure. The full extent is unknown at this time however damage to the right propeller (propeller strike), popped rivets, wrinkled skin on both wings and cut tire on the left main is evident. The reason for the engine failure is yet to be determined.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 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.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.