Pilot stalls aircraft to avoid runway overrun, causing hard landing and substantial damage (N5220W)

What happened

During the final phase of the approach, the aircraft began to float along the runway surface while drifting to the right of the centerline. The pilot determined that the remaining runway length was insufficient for a normal touchdown. To arrest the forward momentum and ensure the aircraft did not overrun the paved surface, the pilot intentionally induced a stall. The airplane dropped approximately six feet onto the runway, resulting in a hard landing. Upon impact, the left main wheel assembly broke off. The aircraft continued to skid off the runway to the right of the centerline. Substantial damage was sustained by the firewall.

The investigation

The pilot provided a statement regarding the sequence of events leading to the accident. He confirmed that the decision to stall the airplane was deliberate, driven by the perception that he was running out of usable runway distance during the landing flare.