A Beech 1900D, N215CJ, operated by Colgan Air as flight 1070, was substantially damaged while landing at the Hyannis-Barnstable Airport (HYA), Massachusetts. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the positioning flight which had departed Boston, Massachusetts, at 16:00. At dusk, with a 100-foot ceiling in fog, the captain of the Beech 1900D had performed two missed approaches to the airport. On the third approach, both the captain and first officer visually acquired the runway. The first officer said the captain lined the airplane up with the runway centerline and requested landing flaps. The first officer further stated, ‘…the aircraft floated at appr. 20’ [feet] over the runway at a normal transition when I heard the captain taking the power levers over the ‘FI [flight idle] gate’ by the sound of the engine/props.’ This placed the propellers in the ‘BETA’ range. The airplane then started to sink, and the captain pulled back on the control yoke. The main landing gear struck the ground and were fractured during the +2.9G touchdown, which occurred about 2,500 feet beyond the approach end of the 5,252 foot long runway. The airplane departed the right side of the runway, about 4,700 feet beyond the approach end, and stopped. To place the throttles in BETA, it was necessary to lift the power levers over the flight idle stop. The captain’s improper placement of the power levers in the BETA position, while the airplane was inflight. Factors were the fog and dusk conditions.