10A N6666D accident near Mandan, North Dakota

Probable cause

The student pilot’s failure to maintain the proper approach path on landing, which resulted in impact with terrain short of the runway.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot stated that, while on final approach for landing, the airplane encountered turbulence on final approach that "pushed the plane down." The airplane landed short of the runway, the student egressed, and the airplane subsequently caught fire and was destroyed. The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems before the accident; there were no witnesses. Visual examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel/gascolator line had ruptured during impact, resulting in the postimpact fire. The local weather at the time of the accident included wind from 130° at 3 knots, and the smoke was observed billowing straight up from the fire; indicating calm to light wind at the time of the accident. It is likely that the student pilot failed to maintain a proper approach path during the landing approach, which resulted in the airplane impacting terrain short of the runway.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN17LA004 for the full record.