What happened
The incident occurred at Chatham Municipal Airport in Chatham, Massachusetts. Prior to the final approach, the pilot had attempted two landings on Runway 24 but aborted both attempts. Following these aborts, air traffic control or ground personnel advised via radio that the pilot should utilize Runway 6 for the next attempt.
While executing the landing on Runway 6, the aircraft touched down short of the paved runway surface. The landing gear struck a grass knoll located just prior to the runway threshold. The impact sheared off the landing gear assembly. Following the gear failure, the airplane continued to skid across the ground and came to a stop resting on its belly.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the landing gear was completely detached from the airframe due to the force of striking the grass knoll. The fuselage sustained damage consistent with sliding on its underside after the initial impact.
Findings
The primary factor in this accident was the touchdown occurring short of the runway. The pilot failed to maintain adequate altitude or airspeed during the final approach phase, resulting in a premature landing. The subsequent loss of the landing gear and belly landing were direct consequences of striking the terrain before reaching the runway proper.