Incident Overview
A flight instructor reported that during a landing, a student pilot flared too high, prompting the instructor to take control of the airplane. The airplane subsequently landed hard, and the tail tie down hook was displaced into the fuselage. Despite a post-flight inspection conducted by the instructor, the damage was not discovered.
Subsequent Flight
The flight instructor performed the next takeoff. During the flight, he noticed that the elevator flight control was sluggish and minimally responsive. Additionally, the airplane's climb performance was poor. The instructor landed the airplane without further incident.
Damage Discovery
Following the uneventful landing, another inspection of the airplane was performed, and the displacement of the tail tie down hook was discovered.