C150 INSTRUCTOR PLT ATTEMPTS TO EXECUTE A GAR AFTER STUDENT PLT FAILS TO MAINTAIN RWY ALIGNMENT IN A XWIND. ACFT STRIKES TAIL; HITS A RWY LIGHT; AND DEPARTS THE RWY WITH MINIMAL DAMAGE AND NO INJURY.
Synopsis
C150 INSTRUCTOR PLT ATTEMPTS TO EXECUTE A GAR AFTER STUDENT PLT FAILS TO MAINTAIN RWY ALIGNMENT IN A XWIND. ACFT STRIKES TAIL; HITS A RWY LIGHT; AND DEPARTS THE RWY WITH MINIMAL DAMAGE AND NO INJURY.
Narrative
MY STUDENT AND I WERE DOING TOUCH-AND-GOES. OUR FIRST LNDG THIS DAY WENT EXCELLENT. THEN CAME OUR SECOND APCH AND LNDG. AS WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL; MY STUDENT WAS IN FULL AND COMPLETE CTL OF THE ACFT. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 40 FT OFF THE GND; WE WENT ABOUT 45 DEGS TO THE RWY. I AND THE R LNDG GEAR WERE OVER THE R SIDE OF THE RWY LIGHTS AND RWY AND MY STUDENT SUDDENLY FROZE AND STOPPED FLYING. AT THIS TIME I SAID 'MY CTLS' AND ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND. IF I TRIED TO LAND WE WOULD HAVE FLIPPED AND ROLLED OVER A FEW TIMES DUE TO THE SIDE LOADING AND ANGLE TO THE RWY WE WERE AT. AS I EXECUTED THE GAR; THE ACFT STRUCK 1 RWY LIGHT AND THE TAIL DRAGGED ON THE GND FOR ABOUT 30 FT. THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE WE WERE AT A HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK; LOW AIRSPD; FLAPS WENT TO 30 DEGS AND WE HAD NO LIFT LEFT. SO WE DRAGGED THE TAIL. THE PLANE THEN CLBED TO ABOUT 75-80 FT AND VEERED SHARPLY TO THE L (L TURNING TENDENCIES) ACROSS THE RWY AND INTO A CLOSED/ASPHALT/GRASS RWY. WHEN I NOTICED THE PLANE BANKED SO SHARPLY; I TURNED THE PLANE TO THE R AND LET IT SLAM DOWN ONTO THE GND -- MAIN WHEELS FIRST; THEN NOSE GEAR AND WINGS LEVEL. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE DONE TO THE ACFT AT ALL. WE JUST SHATTERED A RWY EDGE LIGHT. AFTER THE PLANE WAS FIRMLY ON THE GND; I TAXIED BACK TO THE ACTIVE RWY AND PROCEEDED TO THE BASE OF THE TWR TO THE PARKING AREA. I SHUT THE ACFT DOWN AND TALKED TO MY STUDENT ABOUT WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED AND DID A WALKAROUND OF THE AIRPLANE. THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS THAT MY STUDENT LET THE PLANE FLY HIM; LET THE WINDS GET THE BEST OF HIM; AND HE FROZE ON THE CTLS AT LOW ALTS. YOU CAN NEVER STOP FLYING THAT PLANE UNTIL YOU ARE ON THE GND WITH ALL WHEELS DOWN. FOR ME; I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OVER THE CTLS EARLIER AND TOLD HIM TO GO AROUND SOONER; BUT LIKE I SAID MY STUDENT WAS IN CTL THE WHOLE TIME UNTIL WE FLARED (TOOK OUT WIND CORRECTION ANGLE) WHICH PUSHED US TO THE R SIDE. THIS TAIL STRIKE HAPPENED SO QUICK THAT I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT WAS HAPPENING. SO BOTTOM LINE IS THAT MY STUDENT AND I ARE OK AND THAT THE PLANE IS NOT DAMAGED. IT IS A LESSON LEARNED THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.