Quick Question,
 

Does the C404 POH, emergency gear up landing checklist, state that engines must be shut down before touchdown if landing gear up?

thank you.

either way, just don't feather the props

I've only got a an old 1977 404 manual (though that's probably about average) but the short answer is NO. For "landing with defective main gear" the manual calls for mixture to idle-cutoff during the (pilot initiated) ground loop! For "landing with defective nose gear", the manual calls for idle-cutoff during the flare or after touchdown. I see no procedure in the manual for landing with gear up.

I'm not sure the pilot initiated ground loop is a great idea, but that's a different question.

Cessna 421C (pretty much the same but pressurised)
Forced Landing (with power)
Landing Gear - Up.. If surface rough or soft
Approach - 105 KIAS with 15deg wing flaps.
Pressurisation Air Controls - Pull
All switches except Magnetos - Off
Mixtures - Idle Cut Off
Magneto Switches - Off
Fuel Selectors - Off (Feel for detent)
Emergency Cross Feed Shutoff - Off (Pull up)
Landing Attitude - Nose High

I know it’s not Cessna 404 but maybe this helps.
Cheers

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....618ecd8705.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....37a842239b.jpg

Thanks for that, just trying to figure out where the "best practice" of shutting down engines during a gear-up landing, at 50ft or much higher, high enough to shut down and feather, became a norm.

My opinion, in the flare just before touchdown, DO NOT feather the props, an unfeathered prop will bend, if you feather them, it will dig in and tear the entire engine off the wing.

At the end of the day, always remember the aircraft is insured. Your job is to effect the best possible outcome for the passengers and yourself and not to save the insurance company the cost of a strip down and rebuild.

And besides, there’s no guarantee that a strip down and rebuild wont be called for regardless of the state of engine at impact.

Yes - a busted pilot/passenger is that many fewer people who support aviation.

A busted aeroplane is a boost to the aviation manufacturing sector. :D