Hard Landing After Student Pilot Freezes at Controls

Incident Overview

A flight instructor reported that during the landing flare, approximately 20 feet above the runway, the student pilot “froze” at the flight controls. The instructor stated that she told the student, “Add power – too high,” but the student did not respond. The student pilot “hung on” to the flight controls, forcing the instructor to push full power and physically take over the airplane. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard and the left wing impacted the runway.

Damage and Mechanical Status

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.