Primary finding
Probable cause
The student pilot’s failure to maintain a proper descent rate during the short field landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot was performing a short field landing with a designated pilot examiner in the right seat. The student pilot reported that his landing point was at the “top” of the runway numbers. After the airplane crossed over the perpendicular highway that is immediately to the south of the runway, it lost lift and the airplane impacted the edge of the runway. The main landing gear collapsed underneath both wings and the airplane came to rest upright on a grass field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The student pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot additionally reported that the accident could have been prevented by “proper inflight preparation of the approach” and “energy management.”