Accident Overview
During an instructional flight conducted for a complex airplane endorsement, the airplane landed short of the runway. The flight instructor did not specify the exact location or runway, but reported that the landing was short of the intended runway surface.
Instructor Recommendations
The flight instructor offered safety recommendations following the incident. These included changing the runway aiming point for students, being more forceful when requesting power increases from students, and reviewing procedures with students during preflight briefings. The instructor did not elaborate on whether these recommendations were specific to the accident circumstances or general guidance.
Medical Certificate Issues
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the flight instructor's medical certificate was expired at the time of the flight. The instructor had previously received a warning letter from the FAA on September 1, 1999, for instructing and acting as pilot-in-command without a valid medical certificate. The FAA inspector did not comment on any enforcement actions taken subsequent to the accident flight.
School Owner's Comments
The owner of the flight school where the instructor was employed stated that he does not check the validity of his flight instructors' pilot or medical certificate information. The owner further noted that he was unaware the accident flight instructor did not possess a valid medical certificate. No additional comments from the school owner were included in the source.