Aero Commander 112 N690RU accident near Westminister, Maryland

Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain a proper glidepath during the approach due to his distraction by the failure of an avionics panel, which resulted in a runway undershoot.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot reported that, during the cross-country flight, he thought that the airplane had experienced an electrical failure, and he chose to divert to an airport. During final approach to the diversion airport, the student descended the airplane too low and then attempted to correct it by increasing engine power. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a grassy area just before the runway, which resulted in all three landing gear separating.

Examination of the wreckage revealed that the electrical system was functional but that an avionics panel had failed. The failed avionics panel likely distracted the student pilot and led to his failure to maintain a proper glidepath during the approach, which resulted in the runway undershoot. The student reported that there were no other preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA18LA034 for the full record.