Runway Lip Damage During Landing (N9GF)

Incident Overview A certified private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was conducting touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. During the final landing approach, the pilot was unable to arrest excessive sink, causing the airplane to touch down approximately 12 inches short of the paved end of the runway. The paved runway surface was elevated about 6 inches above the surrounding unpaved area. When the right landing gear struck the lip of the runway, the strut bent aft by approximately 20 degrees, and the right wing sustained structural damage. ## Regulatory Context The FAA Advisory Circular recommends that the distance from the runway lip to the surrounding runway safety area be 1.5 inches for drainage, with a maximum recommended distance of 3 inches. Airport personnel failed to maintain these recommended distances.