Primary finding
Probable cause
The flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The flight instructor and the pilot were performing a simulated forced landing. During the maneuver, the pilot did not maintain a stabilized airspeed on final approach. The airplane landed hard on the runway, sustaining substantial damage. Both pilots reported no pre impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine. The flight instructor stated that he should have aborted the landing at the first indication of an error by the pilot.
Source record
Factual narrative
The flight instructor and the pilot were performing a simulated forced landing. The flight spiraled down, the gear and flaps were lowered, and the airplane overshot the runway centerline on the turn to the final approach. The pilot did not maintain a stabilized airspeed on final. The airplane sustained substantial damage when the airplane landed hard on the runway. The flight instructor reported that he attempted to correct the flight "but the aircraft was too slow to respond due to the loss of airspeed caused by the final flare." Neither the pilot nor flight instructor listed any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. The flight instructor's safety recommendation stated that he "should have aborted the landing at the first indication of an error by the pilot."