Narrative:

After reviewing stalls and slow flight, we returned to the pattern to practice takeoffs and lndgs. We did 2 soft field takeoffs, 1 short field takeoff, 2 crosswind takeoffs, 1 normal landing, 1 simulated emergency landing, 1 slip to landing followed by a go around, 1 loss of elevator landing (demonstration), 2 crosswind lndgs, followed by the final landing. During one of the crosswind lndgs, I reminded the student of the saying, 'keep your nose down and your airspeed up.' on the final landing, the student was asked to do a short field landing. The student inquired about a touchdown point and I suggested just past the numbers. I stated some pilots (referring to bush pilots) approach these as full stall lndgs. A slightly extended pattern was flown to accommodate traffic. As a result, a power increase was necessary to be safely above the power lines. Power was then readjusted. On short final, the student stated, 'we're not going to make the runway.' I said, 'yes, we will -- look at the numbers and notice how they are passing under the nose. You have the runway.' while I was saying this, I was motioning with my left hand and the student's right hand was on the throttle in my scan, I noticed the airspeed indicator showing just under 50 KTS and I said 'full power.' as I brought my hand down to push in the throttle, the aircraft stalled through ground effect and landed hard and flat, resulting in a propeller strike and related damage. Since a mechanic was not available to assess the extent of the damage on a holiday, nor was there any personal injury, nor property damage (other than aircraft), nor a in-flight flight control nor hydraulic failure. Neither the NTSB nor the FAA were immediately notified. The aircraft's mechanic was contacted at home later in the day and arrangements were made for him to evaluate the damage on sunday. The appropriate officials will be notified on monday morning. In retrospect, I allowed an explanation to distract me from the most crucial moments of a landing (short final) -- fly the airplane, explain later. The student is a bright and talented aviator, from a flying family. I was pleased to be asked to substitute for her regular instructor and wanted to do my job in an exemplary manner. I'm sure it is a flight she will always remember -- unfortunately. When the dulles FAA was notified on MM/dd/92 of the incident and specifically queried about calling NTSB, the apc said there was no need to call NTSB. So, NTSB was not called as advised by the FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INSTRUCTOR PLT IN AN SMA LET THE STUDENT LAND HARD STRIKING THE PROP. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE OR INJURY.

Narrative: AFTER REVIEWING STALLS AND SLOW FLT, WE RETURNED TO THE PATTERN TO PRACTICE TKOFS AND LNDGS. WE DID 2 SOFT FIELD TKOFS, 1 SHORT FIELD TKOF, 2 XWIND TKOFS, 1 NORMAL LNDG, 1 SIMULATED EMER LNDG, 1 SLIP TO LNDG FOLLOWED BY A GAR, 1 LOSS OF ELEVATOR LNDG (DEMO), 2 XWIND LNDGS, FOLLOWED BY THE FINAL LNDG. DURING ONE OF THE XWIND LNDGS, I REMINDED THE STUDENT OF THE SAYING, 'KEEP YOUR NOSE DOWN AND YOUR AIRSPD UP.' ON THE FINAL LNDG, THE STUDENT WAS ASKED TO DO A SHORT FIELD LNDG. THE STUDENT INQUIRED ABOUT A TOUCHDOWN POINT AND I SUGGESTED JUST PAST THE NUMBERS. I STATED SOME PLTS (REFERRING TO BUSH PLTS) APCH THESE AS FULL STALL LNDGS. A SLIGHTLY EXTENDED PATTERN WAS FLOWN TO ACCOMMODATE TFC. AS A RESULT, A PWR INCREASE WAS NECESSARY TO BE SAFELY ABOVE THE PWR LINES. PWR WAS THEN READJUSTED. ON SHORT FINAL, THE STUDENT STATED, 'WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE RWY.' I SAID, 'YES, WE WILL -- LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND NOTICE HOW THEY ARE PASSING UNDER THE NOSE. YOU HAVE THE RWY.' WHILE I WAS SAYING THIS, I WAS MOTIONING WITH MY L HAND AND THE STUDENT'S R HAND WAS ON THE THROTTLE IN MY SCAN, I NOTICED THE AIRSPD INDICATOR SHOWING JUST UNDER 50 KTS AND I SAID 'FULL PWR.' AS I BROUGHT MY HAND DOWN TO PUSH IN THE THROTTLE, THE ACFT STALLED THROUGH GND EFFECT AND LANDED HARD AND FLAT, RESULTING IN A PROP STRIKE AND RELATED DAMAGE. SINCE A MECH WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO ASSESS THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE ON A HOLIDAY, NOR WAS THERE ANY PERSONAL INJURY, NOR PROPERTY DAMAGE (OTHER THAN ACFT), NOR A INFLT FLT CTL NOR HYD FAILURE. NEITHER THE NTSB NOR THE FAA WERE IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED. THE ACFT'S MECH WAS CONTACTED AT HOME LATER IN THE DAY AND ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE FOR HIM TO EVALUATE THE DAMAGE ON SUNDAY. THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS WILL BE NOTIFIED ON MONDAY MORNING. IN RETROSPECT, I ALLOWED AN EXPLANATION TO DISTRACT ME FROM THE MOST CRUCIAL MOMENTS OF A LNDG (SHORT FINAL) -- FLY THE AIRPLANE, EXPLAIN LATER. THE STUDENT IS A BRIGHT AND TALENTED AVIATOR, FROM A FLYING FAMILY. I WAS PLEASED TO BE ASKED TO SUBSTITUTE FOR HER REGULAR INSTRUCTOR AND WANTED TO DO MY JOB IN AN EXEMPLARY MANNER. I'M SURE IT IS A FLT SHE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER -- UNFORTUNATELY. WHEN THE DULLES FAA WAS NOTIFIED ON MM/DD/92 OF THE INCIDENT AND SPECIFICALLY QUERIED ABOUT CALLING NTSB, THE APC SAID THERE WAS NO NEED TO CALL NTSB. SO, NTSB WAS NOT CALLED AS ADVISED BY THE FAA.

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.