Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees and terrain during the landing approach.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot was returning from a local solo flight when the aircraft impacted trees and terrain about 200 feet short of the runway. The weight-shift-control, delta wing configured, light sport aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage structure. The pilot stated that the approach was lower than normal and that he added full throttle in an attempt to recover, but was unsuccessful. The pilot commented that the aircraft had encountered some turbulence during the flight. He speculated that the aircraft may have encountered a downdraft on short final. The pilot reported that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the aircraft. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. The pilot held a student pilot certificate and had received about 18 hours of instruction. However, he had not flown in the local area prior to the accident flight. The airport was located on the top of a hill; wind in the local area was from the southwest at 4 knots.
Source record
Factual narrative
The pilot was returning from a local solo flight when the aircraft impacted trees and terrain about 200 feet short of the runway. The weight-shift control, delta wing configured, light sport aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage structure. The pilot stated that the approach was lower than normal. He noted that he added full throttle in an attempt to recover, but that was unsuccessful. The pilot commented that the aircraft had encountered some turbulence during the flight. He speculated that the aircraft may have encountered a downdraft on short final. The pilot reported that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the aircraft. A post accident examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a pre-impact failure or malfunction. The pilot held a student pilot certificate and had received about 18 hours of instruction. However, he had not flown in the local area prior to the accident flight. The airport was located on the top of a hill. Winds in the local area were recorded as light; southwest at 4 knots.