What happened
The incident occurred during nighttime flight operations at the pilot's home base airport. The student pilot was conducting practice maneuvers specifically focused on touch-and-go landings. He elected to use runway 29 for these exercises.
During the sequence of events, the pilot executed a landing that fell short of the designated runway threshold on his second attempt. As the aircraft continued its forward momentum toward the runway surface, it collided with a snowbank situated adjacent to the approach path. The impact was significant enough to cause structural failure of the undercarriage.
Following the collision with the snowbank, the main landing gear separated from the airframe. The aircraft then skidded along the ground until it came to a complete stop. The final resting position of the plane was on its left side, oriented facing the approach end of runway 29.
The investigation
The primary mechanical outcome observed was the separation of the main landing gear. This failure occurred directly after the aircraft struck the snowbank during the aborted or short landing attempt. No other mechanical anomalies were reported in the narrative provided.
Findings
The sequence of events indicates that the pilot's touch-and-go practice resulted in a runway incursion due to a short landing. The presence of snow near the runway edge contributed to the severity of the ground impact, leading to the loss of gear integrity and the subsequent skidding stop.