Cessna 120 N1899N accident near Warwick, New York

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to attain a proper touchdown point, which resulted in the airplane contacting the ground short of the runway.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, as he descended below a tree line on final approach to land, the airplane’s descent rate rapidly increased. He attempted to stop the descent by adding power and pitching up, but the airplane contacted the ground about 10 ft before the runway’s edge, on rough, slightly rising terrain. The left main landing gear wheel collided with the ground and separated from the gear strut. The airplane nosed down and continued across the ground before coming to rest in an upright position, partially resting on the left wing. The airplane’s left wing and fuselage were substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA21LA240 for the full record.