Incident Overview
During a formation flight, the pilot was on final approach to land. He reported that his attention was divided between monitoring the airplane that had landed ahead of him and checking his own airspeed indicator. This focus caused him to inadvertently fly below the normal glide path.
Impact and Damage
The airplane subsequently struck terrain, resulting in the nose landing gear being sheared off. The impact also caused substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have prevented normal operation.
Probable Cause
The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's inadvertent descent below the normal glide path due to his attention being directed at the preceding aircraft and airspeed indicator.