What happened
The incident occurred during a dual instructional flight focused on aviation maneuvers. The student pilot was tasked with performing a short field approach, a procedure designed to demonstrate precise control and landing accuracy within limited runway distances.
During the final phase of the approach, the aircraft remained high relative to the ideal glide path. Despite this deviation, the instructor assessed the situation and determined that the landing could still be completed safely without aborting the attempt. Consequently, no go-around was initiated.
The aircraft touched down at the midpoint of the runway. Due to the excessive speed and altitude at touchdown, the remaining runway length was insufficient to stop the aircraft within the paved surface. The aircraft ran off the end of the runway and nosed over upon impact with the ground beyond the threshold.
The investigation
Post-incident statements from the instructor indicated that additional braking effort was required during the landing roll to prevent further excursion. However, the physical limitations of the runway length and the kinetic energy of the aircraft at touchdown made a safe stop impossible.
Findings
The primary contributing factor was the high final approach speed maintained by the student pilot. The decision to continue the landing rather than execute a go-around, while technically feasible for completion, resulted in the aircraft exceeding the available stopping distance. The lack of a go-around attempt at the point where the approach became unstable allowed the error to progress to a critical phase.
Safety message
Pilots must maintain strict adherence to stabilized approach criteria. If an aircraft is high on final for a short field landing, the safest course of action is often to execute a go-around rather than attempting to salvage the approach with insufficient runway remaining.