What happened
The accident occurred while the pilot was attempting to land on runway 27. According to witness accounts, the airplane circled the airfield once before initiating the second approach. The witness noted that the aircraft appeared to be flying at a slower than normal speed during this attempt.
During the second landing attempt, the airplane touched down hard on the runway. This impact was severe enough to cause the landing gear to collapse. Following the incident, the pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft prior to the event. The pilot attributed the accident to a lack of proficiency in soft and short field landings, noting that additional practice in these areas could have prevented the occurrence.
The investigation
The investigation relied primarily on witness statements and the pilot's account of the events. Witnesses observed the airplane circling the airfield and noted its slow appearance during the final approach. The pilot confirmed the hard touchdown and subsequent gear collapse, while also ruling out any pre-existing mechanical issues with the aircraft systems.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the accident was the hard landing that exceeded the structural limits of the landing gear. Contributing factors included the pilot's approach speed and a lack of experience with short field landing techniques. The pilot acknowledged that more practice in these specific maneuvers would have mitigated the risk.