Incident Overview
During a multi-engine flight check conducted by a designated flight examiner, the owner/pilot was performing an approach for a short field landing. The examiner observed that the pilot allowed the airspeed to drop below the recommended approach speed. At approximately 50 feet above ground level (AGL), the examiner instructed the pilot not to reduce power because the airspeed was still slow.
Sequence of Events
Despite the warning, the pilot reduced the power to idle at about 30 feet AGL and pulled the control wheel all the way back. The examiner then applied full power and attempted to push the control wheel forward. However, the aircraft touched down hard with the nose high and the brakes locked. The tires skidded for approximately 12 feet before the left main landing gear failed.
Aftermath
The aircraft departed the left side of the runway and came to rest approximately 500 to 600 feet from the initial touchdown point. The hard landing and subsequent gear failure resulted in a runway excursion.