What happened
On May 6, 2008, a Beech 65-A90 operated by Titusville Drop Zone was on final approach to an asphalt runway in Titusville, Florida. The runway measured 3,000 feet in length and 70 feet in width. During the landing phase, the aircraft encountered a high sink rate. Although the pilot applied engine power to compensate, the engines did not respond quickly enough to avoid a hard landing.
As a result of the impact, the main landing gear separated from the aircraft, and the left landing gear struck the vertical stabilizer. Following the impact, the pilot performed a go-around and successfully landed the aircraft, N41DZ, on a nearby grass runway without further incident. There were no injuries resulting from the event.
The investigation
The pilot reported having 5,000 hours of total flight experience, with 500 hours specifically in this aircraft type. During the investigation, the pilot stated that no mechanical malfunctions were experienced during the flight. Weather conditions at the time were reported as VMC with a visibility of 7 statute miles and winds of 010 degrees at 12 knots.