What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Airman was practicing takeoffs and landings. On second landing aircraft impacted short of runway with substantial dmaage to the aircraft and injuries to the pilot and passenger. Winds reported as light. Pilot stated that at about 25 to 35 feet the aircraft started to sink, so he added power. But, the aircraft would not accelerate out of the sink, even though the engine seemed to be producing requested power. (.4)on April 16, 2000, about 1100 eastern daylight time, a Bellanca 8KCAB, N238DM, owned by a private individual, impacted with the ground while landing at the Immokalee Airport, Immokalee, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. The commercial-rated pilot and one passenger reported serious injuries. The flight had departed from the same airport, at 1000. The flight was landing on runway 18. According to the airport manager, the pilot was doing spot landings, and landed short of the runway. The airplane came to rest on runway 18. According to the pilot, he had stayed in the local traffic pattern, and was doin g some landings, when he elected to depart the traffic pattern to do some local flying. Upon return to the airport he said, "...I made a normal approach and normal speed. About 25 to 50 feet [above the ground], the bottom dropped out coming down hard on [the] landing gear 6 feet short of [the] runway. Ground was soft, pitching the plane on its nose." According to the FAA inspector's statement the pilot "...did not report any mechanical problems."
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRMAN WAS PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. ON SECOND LANDING AIRCRAFT IMPACTED SHORT OF RUNWAY WITH SUBSTANTIAL DMAAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND INJURIES TO THE PILOT AND PASSENGER. WINDS REPORTED AS LIGHT. PILOT STATED THAT AT ABOUT 25 TO 35 FEET THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SINK, SO HE ADDED POWER. BUT, THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OUT OF THE SINK, EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE SEEMED TO BE PRODUCING REQUESTED POWER. (.4)ON APRIL 16, 2000, ABOUT 1100 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELLANCA 8KCAB, N238DM, OWNED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, IMPACTED WITH THE GROUND WHILE LANDING AT THE IMMOKALEE AIRPORT, IMMOKALEE, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER REPORTED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED FROM THE SAME AIRPORT, AT 1000. THE FLIGHT WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 18. ACCORDING TO THE AIRPORT MANAGER, THE PILOT WAS DOING SPOT LANDINGS, AND LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON RUNWAY 18. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAD STAYED IN THE LOCAL TRAFFIC PATTERN, AND WAS DOIN G SOME LANDINGS, WHEN HE ELECTED TO DEPART THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO DO SOME LOCAL FLYING. UPON RETURN TO THE AIRPORT HE SAID, "...I MADE A NORMAL APPROACH AND NORMAL SPEED. ABOUT 25 TO 50 FEET [ABOVE THE GROUND], THE BOTTOM DROPPED OUT COMING DOWN HARD ON [THE] LANDING GEAR 6 FEET SHORT OF [THE] RUNWAY. GROUND WAS SOFT, PITCHING THE PLANE ON ITS NOSE." ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR'S STATEMENT THE PILOT "...DID NOT REPORT ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.