Incident Overview
A pilot, having just completed a biennial flight review (BFR), was on a return flight to his original departure point. While entering the traffic pattern for landing in calm wind conditions, the pilot encountered an unexpected situation during the final approach.
Sequence of Events
The pilot stated that when the aircraft was approximately 25 feet above the runway on final approach, it entered an area of dead air. In response, he attempted to "power out" of the condition, but the aircraft touched down hard. The hard landing caused the right main landing gear to collapse, resulting in the pilot losing control of the aircraft.
Aftermath
Following the loss of control, the airplane slid off the left side of the runway and broadsided a large pine tree. The pilot reported that the aircraft came to rest after striking the tree. The extent of damage to the aircraft was not specified in the report, nor were any injuries mentioned.
Pilot Report
The pilot provided a detailed account of the event, noting that the dead air condition was encountered abruptly and that his attempt to add power did not prevent the hard touchdown. No further details regarding the aircraft type, registration, or operator were provided.