What happened
A certificated private pilot, acting as the sole occupant, was performing a series of touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. During the final approach of the landing sequence, the pilot did not sufficiently arrest an excessive sink rate. As a result, the aircraft touched down approximately 12 inches before reaching the paved portion of the runway.
The paved runway surface sat approximately 6 inches higher than the adjacent unpaved area. When the right landing gear impacted the edge of the runway, the strut bent aft by roughly 20 degrees, and the right wing sustained structural damage.
Findings
The investigation noted that the height of the runway lip exceeded recommended safety standards. According to FAA Advisory Circulars, the distance between a runway lip and the surrounding runway safety area should be 1.5 inches for drainage purposes, with a maximum recommendation of 3 inches. In this instance, airport personnel had failed to maintain these recommended distances.