One of the first things you hear when you are learning to fly is that a poor approach will result in a poor landing. This is true. In a big way. Come in too fast and you will land far down the runway. Flare too high and there is a balloon-and-bounce scenario that no one wants.
Very often these events are the result of the pilot being behind the airplane or flying by rote—My instructor told me to land with full flaps, and I forgot, but here I am on short final, so I will dump them in, although the aircraft is low, according to the PAPI lights.
