What happened
During a training flight near Paso Robles Airport, an instructor initiated a simulated engine failure while the aircraft was at approximately 5,800 feet. To conduct the drill, the instructor shut down the engine and instructed the student pilot to glide the aircraft to a safe landing at the airport.
Throughout the simulated emergency descent, the student pilot inquired multiple times whether the landing gear should remain retracted until the aircraft turned from base to final approach. According to statements from all three occupants on board, the gear was eventually lowered using the emergency gear extension procedure during short final at a very low altitude.
Upon touchdown on the runway, the left main gear failed to fully extend and lock into position. This caused the left main gear to collapse immediately upon contact with the runway, leading to a collision between the left wing and the runway surface. There were no injuries reported following the incident.