Narrative:

As instructor, I signed off student pilot to take a flight in an small aircraft from topeka (billard) to hays to clay center and return. Student had a total of 39 hours. I had given him approximately 20 hours of instruction, including 4.9 hours of x-country instruction and several lessons which focused on the use of rudders. He had successfully completed a x-country from topeka to salina to emporia and return 1 week before. The student apparently flared too much on landing, yawed to the right as the airplane stalled, and either pushed the nose down or released back pressure such that the propeller grazed the runway. The student went off the side of the runway and the student shut down the engine. I think that this incident, although it only scratched a propeller and bent an ego, stressed some very serious lessons. 1) students who are very successful sometimes become overconfident. Instructors should point out the dangers of overconfidence, especially inattention. 2) instructors should emphasize that a steep, full flaps and power-off approach will require a more difficult flare. 3) instructors should emphasize that excess airspeed prolongs flare and increases the chances of bouncing the landing. 4) instructors should explain what porpoising is, and why back pressure on the elevator is necessary on landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON SECOND SOLO CROSS COUNTRY OVER FLARED ON LNDG, STALLED IN, AND DAMAGED PROPELLER IN RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: AS INSTRUCTOR, I SIGNED OFF STUDENT PLT TO TAKE A FLT IN AN SMA FROM TOPEKA (BILLARD) TO HAYS TO CLAY CENTER AND RETURN. STUDENT HAD A TOTAL OF 39 HRS. I HAD GIVEN HIM APPROX 20 HRS OF INSTRUCTION, INCLUDING 4.9 HRS OF X-COUNTRY INSTRUCTION AND SEVERAL LESSONS WHICH FOCUSED ON THE USE OF RUDDERS. HE HAD SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A X-COUNTRY FROM TOPEKA TO SALINA TO EMPORIA AND RETURN 1 WEEK BEFORE. THE STUDENT APPARENTLY FLARED TOO MUCH ON LNDG, YAWED TO THE RIGHT AS THE AIRPLANE STALLED, AND EITHER PUSHED THE NOSE DOWN OR RELEASED BACK PRESSURE SUCH THAT THE PROPELLER GRAZED THE RWY. THE STUDENT WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY AND THE STUDENT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. I THINK THAT THIS INCIDENT, ALTHOUGH IT ONLY SCRATCHED A PROPELLER AND BENT AN EGO, STRESSED SOME VERY SERIOUS LESSONS. 1) STUDENTS WHO ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL SOMETIMES BECOME OVERCONFIDENT. INSTRUCTORS SHOULD POINT OUT THE DANGERS OF OVERCONFIDENCE, ESPECIALLY INATTENTION. 2) INSTRUCTORS SHOULD EMPHASIZE THAT A STEEP, FULL FLAPS AND POWER-OFF APCH WILL REQUIRE A MORE DIFFICULT FLARE. 3) INSTRUCTORS SHOULD EMPHASIZE THAT EXCESS AIRSPEED PROLONGS FLARE AND INCREASES THE CHANCES OF BOUNCING THE LNDG. 4) INSTRUCTORS SHOULD EXPLAIN WHAT PORPOISING IS, AND WHY BACK PRESSURE ON THE ELEVATOR IS NECESSARY ON LNDG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.