CFI CANDIDATE PRACTICING FROM R SEAT IN XWIND CONDITIONS; REQUESTS DEPLOYMENT OF SPD BRAKES AT FLARE THEN HAS LOSS OF ACFT CTL AND EXCURSION FROM RWY INTO GRASS AND MUD.
Synopsis
CFI CANDIDATE PRACTICING FROM R SEAT IN XWIND CONDITIONS; REQUESTS DEPLOYMENT OF SPD BRAKES AT FLARE THEN HAS LOSS OF ACFT CTL AND EXCURSION FROM RWY INTO GRASS AND MUD.
Narrative
I AM A CFI CANDIDATE. I WAS PRACTICING FLYING THE MOONEY FROM THE R SEAT. ANOTHER PLT WAS IN L SEAT. THIS PLT HAD ABOUT 3000 HRS TOTAL TIME WITH ABOUT 1000 HRS TIME IN TYPE. A TEST IMPLEMENTATION OF N88 ASOS (118.875) ADVISED WINDS WERE 300 DEGS AT 12 KTS GUSTING TO 20 KTS (N88 RWYS ARE RWY 5 AND RWY 23). ABOUT 5 MINS PRIOR TO LNDG; N88 UNICOM INDICATED RWY 23 WAS THE ACTIVE RWY. JUST BEFORE I FLARED; I ASKED THE L SEAT PLT TO DEPLOY SPD BRAKES (NO CTL FOR SPD BRAKES IN R SEAT). I WAS PROBABLY ABOVE THE PROPER FLARE ATTITUDE; BECAUSE THE SPD BRAKES CAUSED THE TAIL TO SINK AND NOSE TO RAISE; BALLOONING US. I APPLIED PWR TO AVOID A HARD LNDG. AT THIS POINT A STRONG GUST CAUGHT US WHILE WE WERE BALLOONED AND BLEW US OFF THE RWY (L OF THE CTRLINE). WE SETTLED THE PLANE ONTO THE GRASS AND CONTINUED OUR LNDG ROLL BACK ONTO THE RWY. THERE WAS A LOT OF MUD ON THE AIRPLANE'S UNDERSIDE SINCE IT HAD RAINED THE DAY BEFORE AND EARLIER IN THE DAY. THERE WAS NO INJURY (THANK GOD) TO THE CREW AND NO DAMAGE; EXCEPT FOR A SMALL DENT IN THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE L FLAP; WHERE IT STRUCK A RWY LIGHT. NO DAMAGE TO GEAR AND NO PROP STRIKE. THIS SCARED THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF US. I HAVE A NEW RESPECT FOR XWINDS. SINCE I WANT TO BE A CFI; I HAVE TO GET PAST THIS AND FOCUS ON LESSONS LEARNED. I WILL NEVER AGAIN ASK SOMEONE TO DEPLOY AN ACFT CTL SURFACE. I WILL BETTER JUDGE MY LNDG FLARE IN XWINDS. I WILL AIM UPWIND OF THE CTRLINE AND HOLD THE WIND CORRECTION. IF I FEEL LIKE I AM IN EXCESS OF THE DEMONSTRATED XWIND COMPONENT; I WILL GO AROUND AND CONSIDER LNDG AT ANOTHER ARPT. I WILL ALSO GET SOME ADDITIONAL DUAL TIME FROM MY CFI. IF I AM GOING TO BE A CFI MYSELF; I WILL HAVE TO MASTER XWIND LNDGS FROM THE R SEAT -- IT'LL BE ON ME TO PULL IT OUT WHEN MY STUDENTS HAVE PROBS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.