What happened
The aircraft was conducting a final approach with full flaps extended and indicated airspeed at 70 knots. At an altitude of 50 feet above ground level, the flight path remained stabilized until the airplane began to develop an excessive sink rate. As the aircraft descended to approximately 30 feet, the pilot applied power in an attempt to arrest the rapid descent.
Despite these efforts, the aircraft struck a drop-off located at the approach end of Runway 24. The impact sheared the landing gear before the airplane came to rest upright, positioned 40 feet down the runway from the point of initial contact.
The investigation
Examination of the accident site and the aircraft revealed that the landing gear was severed due to the force of the impact with the terrain at the runway threshold. The aircraft remained upright after the incident.