Incident Details
A Piper 140 aircraft struck level grassy terrain short of runway 04 during a practice short-field landing. The accident occurred while the aircraft was on short final approach. The aircraft impacted the ground slightly nose-down, with full flaps deployed.
Flight Instructor's Report
The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that the student pilot had stabilized the aircraft on the approach at 70 mph. As the aircraft crossed over a steep drop-off located approximately 100 feet before the runway threshold, a high sink rate was encountered. The CFI assumed control of the aircraft, lowered the nose, and applied power, but was unable to arrest the descent before impact. The wind was reported from 040 degrees at 5 knots with no gusts.
Aircraft Characteristics
According to the Piper 140 owner's handbook, the power-off stall speed for a wings-level aircraft at gross weight with full flaps is 55 mph.