A pilot and flight instructor observed runway light debris on the runway but were advised by the tow...

Attributes
ACN	1225929
Time
Date	201412
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Landing
Route In Use	None
Flight Plan	None
Component
Aircraft Component	Horizontal Stabilizer
Person 1
Function	Single Pilot Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Private
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 5.6 Flight Crew Total 85 Flight Crew Type 85
Person 2
Function	Instructor Pilot Not Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Instrument
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 58 Flight Crew Total 1694 Flight Crew Type 1683
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Ground Event / Encounter Object

Narrative:

During approach; I noticed I was coming in too low. I added power to touch down on the runway threshold without incident. Upon landing; my instructor mentioned that I may have hit a runway light; although I did not believe I had. After coming to a full stop and taxiing back to hold short of runway on taxiway; we noticed a broken light and some debris at the edge of the runway. We reported to [the] tower that we may have hit a light during landing and were advised that we had landed clear of the threshold and it must have been another airplane. My instructor and I both looked outside our windows and observed no damage to the landing gear or airplane; but told the tower that we saw debris on the runway. We proceeded with our pattern work with no further incident or observation of anything awry. I did not note any damage to the aircraft during my post-flight review. The following morning; upon further visual inspection of the aircraft; damage was noticed to the underside of the right horizontal stabilizer of the aircraft which was then grounded for maintenance. Our best guess is that we may have hit existing debris on the runway which bounced back and hit the underside of the horizontal stabilizer. In retrospect; we probably should have exited the aircraft for a full visual inspection based on my instructor's suspicion that we may have hit something and seeing debris on the runway upon taxiing back to the hold-short lines regardless of being told by the tower that we had not made contact with anything on landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A pilot and flight instructor observed runway light debris on the runway but were advised by The tower that they had landed clear. They did not exit the aircraft to inspect for possible damage. Later; they discovered damage to the horizontal stabilizer.

Narrative: During approach; I noticed I was coming in too low. I added power to touch down on the runway threshold without incident. Upon landing; my instructor mentioned that I may have hit a runway light; although I did not believe I had. After coming to a full stop and taxiing back to hold short of runway on taxiway; we noticed a broken light and some debris at the edge of the runway. We reported to [the] Tower that we may have hit a light during landing and were advised that we had landed clear of the threshold and it must have been another airplane. My instructor and I both looked outside our windows and observed no damage to the landing gear or airplane; but told the Tower that we saw debris on the runway. We proceeded with our pattern work with no further incident or observation of anything awry. I did not note any damage to the aircraft during my post-flight review. The following morning; upon further visual inspection of the aircraft; damage was noticed to the underside of the right horizontal stabilizer of the aircraft which was then grounded for maintenance. Our best guess is that we may have hit existing debris on the runway which bounced back and hit the underside of the horizontal stabilizer. In retrospect; we probably should have exited the aircraft for a full visual inspection based on my instructor's suspicion that we may have hit something and seeing debris on the runway upon taxiing back to the hold-short lines regardless of being told by the Tower that we had not made contact with anything on landing.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

A pilot and flight instructor observed runway light debris on the runway but were advised by the tower that they had landed clear. They did not exit the aircraft to inspect for possible damage. Later; they discovered damage to the horizontal stabilizer.