What happened
During the final phase of flight, the aircraft experienced a structural failure involving its landing gear system. The event began when the pilot attempted to clear tall pine trees located north of the runway threshold. At this critical moment, the airspeed was approximately 90 miles per hour, which equates to roughly 78 knots.
Shortly after clearing the obstruction, the aircraft entered a rapid descent. The pilot reported that the sink rate increased significantly and quickly became unmanageable despite corrective inputs. The resulting impact with the ground was severe enough to cause the left main landing gear to collapse. The force of the touchdown also damaged the right main gear and the nose gear assembly.
The investigation
Post-acc examination revealed extensive damage to the undercarriage structure. The primary failure point was identified as the left main landing gear, which failed upon impact. Secondary damage was noted on the opposing main gear strut and the forward nose gear unit, indicating a high-energy vertical load event during touchdown.
Findings
The sequence of events indicates that the aircraft landed with excessive vertical velocity. The pilot's attempt to clear obstacles resulted in a flight path that did not allow for a stabilized approach or proper flare. The rapid loss of altitude immediately prior to touchdown suggests a failure to maintain adequate airspeed or energy management during the final approach segment.
Safety message
Maintaining proper airspeed and glide path control during obstacle clearance is critical. Pilots must ensure sufficient energy remains to execute a safe flare and touchdown without exceeding structural limits of the landing gear system.