What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 24, 2013 approximately 1300 local aircraft register N228DF landed short of Baldwin County airfield (kmlj) approximate 30 yards from the end of the threshold of runway 28. Upon hard landing the aircraft continued to the left hand of the runway onto the taxiway and continued off the taxiway and hit the runway sign. The aircraft continued to the FBO and parked the aircraft. The damage included the runway sign destroyed and aircraft left hand leading edge, left hand landing gear strut cover and wheel cover damaged.
This flight was an instructional flight with the scope of instruction was short field landing. On this date the student and the CFI reported that during approach to runway 28 earlier that day at approximately 20? AGL that the airspeed suddenly dropped by 20KTS.the student increased the aircraft power and landed long. The sudden drop in airspeed during landing was discussed by the student to the instructor. They also discussed that the winds seem stronger than what was reported by the field AWOS.
On April 26, 2013 the investigator listen to the AWOS and heard a disclaimer that the measurements was or could be inaccurate and when ask why the disclaimer was in the recording it was reported that the equipment location of the AWOS being in downhill with buildings around the equipment. Although this may have been a factor in the weather reporting the CFI and student knew of the current conditions were inaccurate.
Probable cause of the accident may be for the type of instruction given (short field landing) and the known drop of airspeed condition that the maneuver was conducted improperly and the aircraft was too low for proper short field landing for the known conditions and the student and CFI did not responds quickly enough for sudden drop in airspeed.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 24, 2013 APPROXIMATELY 1300 LOCAL AIRCRAFT REGISTER N228DF LANDED SHORT OF BALDWIN COUNTY AIRFIELD (KMLJ) APPROXIMATE 30 YARDS FROM THE END OF THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 28. UPON HARD LANDING THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO THE LEFT HAND OF THE RUNWAY ONTO THE TAXIWAY AND CONTINUED OFF THE TAXIWAY AND HIT THE RUNWAY SIGN. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO THE FBO AND PARKED THE AIRCRAFT. THE DAMAGE INCLUDED THE RUNWAY SIGN DESTROYED AND AIRCRAFT LEFT HAND LEADING EDGE, LEFT HAND LANDING GEAR STRUT COVER AND WHEEL COVER DAMAGED.
THIS FLIGHT WAS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WITH THE SCOPE OF INSTRUCTION WAS SHORT FIELD LANDING. ON THIS DATE THE STUDENT AND THE CFI REPORTED THAT DURING APPROACH TO RUNWAY 28 EARLIER THAT DAY AT APPROXIMATELY 20? AGL THAT THE AIRSPEED SUDDENLY DROPPED BY 20KTS.THE STUDENT INCREASED THE AIRCRAFT POWER AND LANDED LONG. THE SUDDEN DROP IN AIRSPEED DURING LANDING WAS DISCUSSED BY THE STUDENT TO THE INSTRUCTOR. THEY ALSO DISCUSSED THAT THE WINDS SEEM STRONGER THAN WHAT WAS REPORTED BY THE FIELD AWOS.
ON APRIL 26, 2013 THE INVESTIGATOR LISTEN TO THE AWOS AND HEARD A DISCLAIMER THAT THE MEASUREMENTS WAS OR COULD BE INACCURATE AND WHEN ASK WHY THE DISCLAIMER WAS IN THE RECORDING IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE EQUIPMENT LOCATION OF THE AWOS BEING IN DOWNHILL WITH BUILDINGS AROUND THE EQUIPMENT. ALTHOUGH THIS MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN THE WEATHER REPORTING THE CFI AND STUDENT KNEW OF THE CURRENT CONDITIONS WERE INACCURATE.
PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT MAY BE FOR THE TYPE OF INSTRUCTION GIVEN (SHORT FIELD LANDING) AND THE KNOWN DROP OF AIRSPEED CONDITION THAT THE MANEUVER WAS CONDUCTED IMPROPERLY AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOO LOW FOR PROPER SHORT FIELD LANDING FOR THE KNOWN CONDITIONS AND THE STUDENT AND CFI DID NOT RESPONDS QUICKLY ENOUGH FOR SUDDEN DROP IN AIRSPEED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.