Piper PA-32-300 N2899N accident near Princeton, Minnesota

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain proper approach glide path, which resulted in a collision with trees.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot and flight instructor were conducting a flight review. During the attempted short-field landing, the pilot slowed the airplane to 70 kts, about 10 kts slower than usual, and planned to make a “shallower than normal final approach.” While on short final, the airplane descended too low, and the airplane collided with a small tree. The airplane subsequently veered left, landed short of the runway, and impacted several taxiway lights, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and left aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that he let the airplane get too low and slow on final approach.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN22LA218 for the full record.