What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Upon review of the video of your current accident investigation, the following deficiencies were noted:1. Pilot failed to maintain a visual glide path to the intended touchdown as a result of mismanagement of power.2. Aircraft entered a higher than normal sink rate due to insufficient power.3. Pilot momentarily applied power to arrest the sink rate, only to return to idle within 2 seconds, this actually aggravated the situation by causing a momentary pitch up from the power surge.4. Pilot failed to compensate for the headwind on final, which would have required an increase in sustained power to touchdown.5. Due to the high sink rate, upon touchdown short of the runway, the aircraft impact resulted in damage to the landing gear. The pilot's demonstrated ability from the video does not meet the minimum skill requirements of a private pilot, therefore, he will be re-examined under 44709 to ensure his ability to continue to operate aircraft as a certificated pilot.
As the FAA filed it
UPON REVIEW OF THE VIDEO OF YOUR CURRENT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION, THE FOLLOWING DEFICIENCIES WERE NOTED:1. PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN A VISUAL GLIDE PATH TO THE INTENDED TOUCHDOWN AS A RESULT OF MISMANAGEMENT OF POWER.2. AIRCRAFT ENTERED A HIGHER THAN NORMAL SINK RATE DUE TO INSUFFICIENT POWER.3. PILOT MOMENTARILY APPLIED POWER TO ARREST THE SINK RATE, ONLY TO RETURN TO IDLE WITHIN 2 SECONDS, THIS ACTUALLY AGGRAVATED THE SITUATION BY CAUSING A MOMENTARY PITCH UP FROM THE POWER SURGE.4. PILOT FAILED TO COMPENSATE FOR THE HEADWIND ON FINAL, WHICH WOULD HAVE REQUIRED AN INCREASE IN SUSTAINED POWER TO TOUCHDOWN.5. DUE TO THE HIGH SINK RATE, UPON TOUCHDOWN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR.THE PILOT'S DEMONSTRATED ABILITY FROM THE VIDEO DOES NOT MEET THE MINIMUM SKILL REQUIREMENTS OF A PRIVATE PILOT, THEREFORE, HE WILL BE RE-EXAMINED UNDER 44709 TO ENSURE HIS ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE AIRCRAFT AS A CERTIFICATED PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.