Narrative:

I was on a return training flight from titusville executive airport to rockledge air park. When we were approximately 5 NM to the north of rockledge air park, I informed the student, mr Y, to ask for an airport advisory in which he did so twice with no reply from rockledge unicom. I then informed the student to enter a left downwind for runway 36. The reason for this decision was because the winds were favoring runway 36 to the northwest when we took off earlier that morning. When we were midfield on a left downwind for runway 36 we banked the aircraft into a position as to see the windsock indicator. Due to the sun being in our eyes, we couldn't tell which runway the winds were favoring. After not being able to determine which runway was the active, we decided to go ahead and stay in the traffic pattern for runway 36. I informed the student to go ahead and set up for the approach. The student turned from left downwind to left base and I noticed that he still hadn't put his gear down. I felt that this was the perfect opportunity for the student to get first hand experience in trying to land with his gear up, so I didn't say a word in hopes that he would remember to extend his gear. I also knew that part of the requirements for the practical test standards guide for multi-engine was a missed approach. When we reached about 1/4 mi from the threshold and about 200' AGL, I asked the student if he was ready to land. He replied by saying yes and I then informed him that he hadn't extended his gear yet and that our approach speed was entirely too fast for trying to land on 2000' of runway. He had that look of confusion on his face and didn't know what to do when I told him to go missed approach. I felt that I needed to take control of the aircraft before the student really got us into an emergency situation. So I applied full power, retracted the flaps, and leveled off at approximately 100' AGL. I then noticed by looking at the windsock that the winds were coming from the southwest, favoring the opp runway 18. I also noticed that the lineman, standing along the runway. I knew that he was supposed to be painting lines on the runway and I wanted to make sure that he removed all of his equipment from the runway. If I had immediately established a climb, I never would have been able to make these evaluations with the nose blocking my forward vision and being in a low wing aircraft, blocking my side view. I also needed to make sure that their were not aircraft coming from the opp direction, now knowing that the winds were favoring runway 18. After pointing all this out to the student, I let him have control of the aircraft and we proceeded to climb straight out to traffic pattern altitude. He then entered a right hand traffic pattern from runway 18 and we proceeded to come in and make a normal landing. After shutting down the engines at the tie-down position, I was approached by FAA inspector. He asked to see my certificates and the certificates of the aircraft. After writing down all the necessary information he needed from the documents. I then asked him what the problem was? He then replied in a very demeaning voice that I had gone below 500' AGL west/O the intent to land and that the aircraft was doing 130 KTS, and that he was citing me for careless and reckless operation. Noticing the tone of his voice, I felt that I had better not say a thing until I had talked to a lawyer. The inspector then approached the student and asked him if he would like to make a statement. Mr Y then asked the inspector in a very frightened voice, 'I don't know, what kind of a statement should I make?' inspector then replied, 'in order to avoid any court action in the uk, write down that the PIC flew past at 50' AGL at 140 KTS.' mr Y did so as instructed by inspector and left the airport shortly afterward.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT MADE LOW PASS OVER RWY WITH STUDENT.

Narrative: I WAS ON A RETURN TRNING FLT FROM TITUSVILLE EXECUTIVE ARPT TO ROCKLEDGE AIR PARK. WHEN WE WERE APPROX 5 NM TO THE N OF ROCKLEDGE AIR PARK, I INFORMED THE STUDENT, MR Y, TO ASK FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY IN WHICH HE DID SO TWICE WITH NO REPLY FROM ROCKLEDGE UNICOM. I THEN INFORMED THE STUDENT TO ENTER A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 36. THE REASON FOR THIS DECISION WAS BECAUSE THE WINDS WERE FAVORING RWY 36 TO THE NW WHEN WE TOOK OFF EARLIER THAT MORNING. WHEN WE WERE MIDFIELD ON A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 36 WE BANKED THE ACFT INTO A POS AS TO SEE THE WINDSOCK INDICATOR. DUE TO THE SUN BEING IN OUR EYES, WE COULDN'T TELL WHICH RWY THE WINDS WERE FAVORING. AFTER NOT BEING ABLE TO DETERMINE WHICH RWY WAS THE ACTIVE, WE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND STAY IN THE TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 36. I INFORMED THE STUDENT TO GO AHEAD AND SET UP FOR THE APCH. THE STUDENT TURNED FROM LEFT DOWNWIND TO LEFT BASE AND I NOTICED THAT HE STILL HADN'T PUT HIS GEAR DOWN. I FELT THAT THIS WAS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE STUDENT TO GET FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE IN TRYING TO LAND WITH HIS GEAR UP, SO I DIDN'T SAY A WORD IN HOPES THAT HE WOULD REMEMBER TO EXTEND HIS GEAR. I ALSO KNEW THAT PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PRACTICAL TEST STANDARDS GUIDE FOR MULTI-ENG WAS A MISSED APCH. WHEN WE REACHED ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM THE THRESHOLD AND ABOUT 200' AGL, I ASKED THE STUDENT IF HE WAS READY TO LAND. HE REPLIED BY SAYING YES AND I THEN INFORMED HIM THAT HE HADN'T EXTENDED HIS GEAR YET AND THAT OUR APCH SPD WAS ENTIRELY TOO FAST FOR TRYING TO LAND ON 2000' OF RWY. HE HAD THAT LOOK OF CONFUSION ON HIS FACE AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN I TOLD HIM TO GO MISSED APCH. I FELT THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE CTL OF THE ACFT BEFORE THE STUDENT REALLY GOT US INTO AN EMER SITUATION. SO I APPLIED FULL PWR, RETRACTED THE FLAPS, AND LEVELED OFF AT APPROX 100' AGL. I THEN NOTICED BY LOOKING AT THE WINDSOCK THAT THE WINDS WERE COMING FROM THE SW, FAVORING THE OPP RWY 18. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE LINEMAN, STANDING ALONG THE RWY. I KNEW THAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PAINTING LINES ON THE RWY AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT HE REMOVED ALL OF HIS EQUIP FROM THE RWY. IF I HAD IMMEDIATELY ESTABLISHED A CLB, I NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THESE EVALUATIONS WITH THE NOSE BLOCKING MY FORWARD VISION AND BEING IN A LOW WING ACFT, BLOCKING MY SIDE VIEW. I ALSO NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR WERE NOT ACFT COMING FROM THE OPP DIRECTION, NOW KNOWING THAT THE WINDS WERE FAVORING RWY 18. AFTER POINTING ALL THIS OUT TO THE STUDENT, I LET HIM HAVE CTL OF THE ACFT AND WE PROCEEDED TO CLB STRAIGHT OUT TO TFC PATTERN ALT. HE THEN ENTERED A RIGHT HAND TFC PATTERN FROM RWY 18 AND WE PROCEEDED TO COME IN AND MAKE A NORMAL LNDG. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGS AT THE TIE-DOWN POS, I WAS APCHED BY FAA INSPECTOR. HE ASKED TO SEE MY CERTIFICATES AND THE CERTIFICATES OF THE ACFT. AFTER WRITING DOWN ALL THE NECESSARY INFO HE NEEDED FROM THE DOCUMENTS. I THEN ASKED HIM WHAT THE PROB WAS? HE THEN REPLIED IN A VERY DEMEANING VOICE THAT I HAD GONE BELOW 500' AGL W/O THE INTENT TO LAND AND THAT THE ACFT WAS DOING 130 KTS, AND THAT HE WAS CITING ME FOR CARELESS AND RECKLESS OPERATION. NOTICING THE TONE OF HIS VOICE, I FELT THAT I HAD BETTER NOT SAY A THING UNTIL I HAD TALKED TO A LAWYER. THE INSPECTOR THEN APCHED THE STUDENT AND ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A STATEMENT. MR Y THEN ASKED THE INSPECTOR IN A VERY FRIGHTENED VOICE, 'I DON'T KNOW, WHAT KIND OF A STATEMENT SHOULD I MAKE?' INSPECTOR THEN REPLIED, 'IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY COURT ACTION IN THE UK, WRITE DOWN THAT THE PIC FLEW PAST AT 50' AGL AT 140 KTS.' MR Y DID SO AS INSTRUCTED BY INSPECTOR AND LEFT THE ARPT SHORTLY AFTERWARD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.