N67503

The 2,480-hour commercial pilot, who reported having accumulated a total of 380 hours in the same make and model, reported that on the third touch and go landing, while practicing a short field approach and landing to a 5,000-foot-long by 100-foot-wide paved runway, he failed to maintain control of the single-engine airplane and landed hard and short of the landing threshold for Runway 09. According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident, the airplane's nose gear collapsed and the engine firewall sustained structural damage. When asked how this accident could have been prevented, the pilot reported that "short field landings should always be practiced using a simulated beginning point of the runway. It is not necessary to use the actual landing threshold." The pilot also reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane or engine prior to the accident. Weather was reported as calm winds, unlimited visibility, clear skies, temperature 68 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and a barometric pressure setting of 30.22 inches of mercury.