Background
The pilot reported that she was conducting a high speed taxi to evaluate an erratic airspeed indicator. During the taxi, the airplane began to porpoise, prompting her to take off and maneuver the airplane around the traffic pattern for landing.
Events in the Traffic Pattern
While in the traffic pattern, the pilot became distracted by other airplanes and did not perform the landing checklist. She described feeling "behind" the airplane. On final approach, she pushed in the throttle control to correct for a rapid rate of descent, but the engine did not respond. The airplane subsequently landed hard in the gravel short of the intended runway.
Post-Impact Observations
After the impact, the pilot noted that the mixture control was fully out. She stated that she may have pulled out the wrong engine control during the approach. A witness on the ground reported that the airplane descended rapidly in a flat attitude with the propeller rotating slowly. The witness responded to the accident scene and observed that the mixture, throttle, and propeller controls were all pulled out. The pilot could not explain how that happened but reiterated that she was very distracted while flying in the pattern.
Pilot Background
The pilot stated that she had not flown for about 8 months and had no intent to fly that day.
Damage
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.