Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper glidepath to the runway, which resulted in a runway undershoot and collision with terrain.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The airplane was returning to the airport after releasing five skydivers. During short final approach to the 1,800-ft-long runway, in a gusty headwind, the airplane touched down just prior to the runway and the landing gear struck an embankment. The nosegear separated and the airplane skid onto and off the right side of the runway. It subsequently came to rest upright in a grass area off the right side of the runway. Examination of the wreckage revealed substantial damage to the lower and right fuselage. The examination did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, nor did the pilot report any.