PLT RECEIVING BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW MADE HARD LNDG RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE ACFT NOSEWHEEL STEERING.

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PLT WAS MID 60'S; INST RATED WITH APPROX 1000 TOTAL TIME; WHO FLEW THE ACFT REGULARLY. DUE FOR A FLT REVIEW; THE CFI (EARLY 40'S) STRONGLY SUGGESTED PARTICIPATION IN THE FAA 'WINGS' PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR DUAL INSTRUCTION IN AREAS THE PLT SELDOM REVIEWED. (MOST OF HIS FLYING IS LONG XCOUNTRY; VFR). PLT AND CFI BRIEFED THE EVENING BEFORE THE FLT AND BEFORE THE FLT; GOING OVER PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK CHARTS AND PROCS FOR NORMAL; SHORT FIELD; AND SOFT FIELD TKOFS AND LNDGS. AFTER 45 MINS OF INSTRUCTION; PLT WAS ON HIS FIRST SHORT FIELD APCH AND LET AIRSPD DECAY; DROPPING IN FROM ABOUT 10 FT AND DAMAGING THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING MECHANISM. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: AGE DIFFERENCE. CFI RELUCTANT TO OVERRIDE ORDER AND EXPERIENCED PLT. HEARING LOSS IN PLT; COMBINED WITH FIXATION ON LNDG SPOT; MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN PLT NOT RESPONDING TO CFI CAUTIONS ABOUT LOW AIRSPD AND NEED FOR PWR. (HEADSETS AND INTERCOM WERE USED. BUSY TWR FREQ.) CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: CFI NEEDS TO BE MORE WILLING TO 'GRAB THE CTLS' FROM EVEN SENIOR PLTS. TURNING RADIO DOWN ON SHORT FINAL MIGHT HELP PLT TO HEAR CFI BETTER OVER INTERCOM. CFI NEEDS TO BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL WORKING WITH 'SUPERIORS' IN BUSINESS OR SOCIAL (CIVIL AIR PATROL) HIERARCHY; AS RELUCTANCE TO TAKE CTL FROM A SUPERIOR CAN BE WORSE THAN THE DISCOMFORT OF TAKING THE ACTION.