What happened
During a training exercise focused on demonstrating a short-field landing technique, the certified flight instructor (CFI) and a student pilot were operating an aircraft on a private sod runway. The approach was conducted in conditions that included a light crosswind. As the aircraft approached the end of the sod strip, which was bordered by trees, the CFI determined that the airspeed had become insufficient. When attempting to flare for touchdown, the nose of the aircraft dropped prematurely.
The resulting impact with the ground was hard enough to cause structural failure of the landing gear. Specifically, the nose wheel collapsed upon contact. The loss of support from the nose gear caused the aircraft to pitch forward violently, leading to a nosing over incident on the runway surface.
The investigation
Following the accident, the CFI provided a statement regarding the sequence of events leading to the crash. He attributed the hard landing and subsequent collapse of the nose wheel to a loss of airspeed during the final phase of the approach. The CFI noted that when he attempted to flare to reduce the descent rate, the aircraft's nose dropped unexpectedly due to the insufficient energy state.
The physical environment played a role in the incident dynamics. The sod strip was surrounded by trees, limiting any potential for a go-around or off-field landing options. The presence of a light crosswind at the time of the accident was also noted as a factor in the approach conditions.