Incident Overview
During the approach to a runway, the pilot of an airplane reported that while on short final, the aircraft encountered a downdraft. The downdraft caused the airplane to drop below the glide slope, and the pilot immediately noticed a reduction in airspeed. In response, the pilot applied power and raised the nose in an attempt to regain proper altitude. Despite these actions, the airplane landed very hard, resulting in the collapse of the nose wheel landing gear.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane after the incident. The inspection revealed that the firewall was bent and the fuselage behind the aft seating area was buckled. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane's systems prior to the accident.
Pilot Account
The pilot stated that the downdraft occurred on short final and that the airplane was dropped below the glide slope. The pilot's application of power and nose-up input was an effort to correct the altitude loss. However, the landing impact was severe enough to cause structural damage to the forward and aft sections of the fuselage.