What happened
During a training exercise focused on short-field landing procedures, the student pilot was managing the aircraft's descent and energy management. As the airplane approached the runway threshold for the final phase of the landing, the pilot reduced engine power to an excessive degree. This action resulted in a complete loss of available thrust during the critical landing flare.
Without sufficient power to maintain the desired glide path or arrest the sink rate effectively, the airplane impacted the runway surface. The initial contact was made with the main landing gear, followed immediately by the nose landing gear striking the pavement.
Recognizing the situation, the flight instructor took control of the aircraft and added full power to the engine. This action allowed for a successful go-around maneuver. The instructor then executed a standard approach and completed a full-stop landing without further incident.
The investigation
A review of the event focused on the operational sequence and the condition of the aircraft systems. Examination confirmed that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the event. The engine functioned normally once power was reapplied by the instructor, indicating that the initial lack of thrust was solely due to pilot input rather than a system failure.
Findings
The primary factor in this incident was the excessive reduction of power by the student pilot during the flare phase of a short-field landing. This error led to an uncontrolled impact with the runway. The situation was mitigated by the flight instructor's timely intervention, which prevented potential damage or injury through a successful go-around.