Accident Overview
During a nighttime training flight, a student pilot was practicing approaches and landings. While on final approach to the runway, the airplane was below the intended glide path. The student pilot initiated a go-around, but the airplane's main landing gear collided with a berm located short of the runway. The impact caused the airplane to bounce and activated the emergency locator transmitter (ELT).
Damage Assessment
The collision sheared off the left main landing gear completely. The right main landing gear remained attached but was dangling from its strut. Despite the damage, the certified flight instructor (CFI) on board tested the airplane's controllability and determined that it was in a "flyable" condition.
Return Flight
Rather than landing at the nearest suitable location, the CFI elected to return to the airport from which the flight had originated. The CFI executed a normal approach and began the landing rollout solely on the nose wheel. The airplane did not have operational brakes, yet it came to rest approximately three-quarters of the way down the runway.
Mechanical Condition
The CFI reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident sequence.
Post-Accident Actions
The ELT was triggered by the initial impact and presumably continued transmitting until manually deactivated. No further details are available regarding the post-landing inspection or recovery of the aircraft.