20060320011719A

(-23) On the first leg of operator's daily pne-mmu-buf cargo run, subject aircraft was cleared by mmu tower for the visual approach to runway 5. After selecting gear down pilot stated that he did not get a right main gear down and locked indication (green light). Aircraft then climbed back to 2000 feet and pilot cycled gear several times attempting to obtain down and locked indication, to no effect. Pilot stated he swapped lamps from the illuminated nose and left main indicators to the right main indicator, again to no effect. Aircraft performed flyby of mmu tower and was told all three landing gear appeared to be down. Pilot stated he elected to land on runway 31 because the winds favored that runway and he did not want to block the long runway (runway 5-23) in the event of a gear collapse. Pilot stated that, due to his concerns about landing gear failure, the aircraft's full fuel state and the possibility of the aircraft "cartwheeling" and catching fire, he elected to shut down both engines and feather both propellers on short final when he felt he had the runway "made." Pilot stated that he must have caught a "bad gust" which caused him to lose altitude rapidly. Pilot stated that, when he realized that he was not going to make the runway and was headed for the slope of the hill leading up to the runway, he attempted to raise the aircraft's nose and land flat on the slope. The aircraft impacted on the slope parallel with the ground with little evidence of forward motion and came to rest 183 feet from the approach end of runway 31. The pilot suffered minor lacerations and contusions and serious back injuries. The aircraft was intact although substantially damaged. Both wings and the belly suffered impact damage. All three landing gear were torn from their attachments, failed to the rear and remained under the aircraft. Damage to the right main landing gear was such that a conclusive determination as to whether it was locked down will be impossible. However, the fact that it failed to the rear, instead of forward in its normal direction of retraction, suggests that it was locked. Both propellers were feathered. The left propeller was in the horizontal position and suffered no damage. The right propeller was in the vertical position with the lower blade buried approximately three feet into the ground and bent. The left engine starter was engaged. The pilot stated that, other than the right main landing gear indication, the aircraft was operating normally. A review of the aircraft records indicated that the aircraft was properly maintained, inspected and current for part 135 operations.