Narrative:

This incident occurred upon the return of a student from his first 300 plus mi solo cross country. The student contacted austin approach and requested the favored runway (runway 17 at austin mueller, winds 180 degrees at 16 KTS). The student was then vectored in by austin approach. Visual contact was maintained with an air carrier medium large transport that touched down approximately 2 mins prior to the student's small aircraft on runway 13. A stable sideslip was successfully established 1/4 mi from runway 17. Descent rate was steady at 500 FPM. This student then waited for ground effect to flare. None was felt and in turn the flare was late although applied as rapidly as possible. The aircraft bounced upon contact with the strip and flaring failed to prevent a second hard bounce. Airspeed at this point was too low to effect a go around. The aircraft bounced hard a third time and the fourth bounce was severe, collapsing the nose gear and bending the propeller. Steering authority was lost as a result and the small aircraft slid off the west side of the strip into a grass median approximately 50 yards from taxiway D. The pilot informed austin tower of position and aircraft condition immediately after the aircraft came to a complete stop. An airport operations representative arrived to evaluate the situation. Mueller closed runway 17 until the nearest light aircraft facility could tow the damaged aircraft. It is the opinion of this student pilot that this was a training accident resulting from the inherent risks of teaching new pilots. The student feels he was properly briefed and checked out in the manner prescribed by the FAA and local aviation schools. Greater time in aircraft type and experience under a wide range of conditions is always beneficial.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY EXCURSION AFTER A SERIES OF BOUNCES AND A FINAL HARD LNDG. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED UPON THE RETURN OF A STUDENT FROM HIS FIRST 300 PLUS MI SOLO XCOUNTRY. THE STUDENT CONTACTED AUSTIN APCH AND REQUESTED THE FAVORED RWY (RWY 17 AT AUSTIN MUELLER, WINDS 180 DEGS AT 16 KTS). THE STUDENT WAS THEN VECTORED IN BY AUSTIN APCH. VISUAL CONTACT WAS MAINTAINED WITH AN ACR MLG THAT TOUCHED DOWN APPROX 2 MINS PRIOR TO THE STUDENT'S SMA ON RWY 13. A STABLE SIDESLIP WAS SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHED 1/4 MI FROM RWY 17. DSCNT RATE WAS STEADY AT 500 FPM. THIS STUDENT THEN WAITED FOR GND EFFECT TO FLARE. NONE WAS FELT AND IN TURN THE FLARE WAS LATE ALTHOUGH APPLIED AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. THE ACFT BOUNCED UPON CONTACT WITH THE STRIP AND FLARING FAILED TO PREVENT A SECOND HARD BOUNCE. AIRSPD AT THIS POINT WAS TOO LOW TO EFFECT A GAR. THE ACFT BOUNCED HARD A THIRD TIME AND THE FOURTH BOUNCE WAS SEVERE, COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR AND BENDING THE PROP. STEERING AUTHORITY WAS LOST AS A RESULT AND THE SMA SLID OFF THE W SIDE OF THE STRIP INTO A GRASS MEDIAN APPROX 50 YARDS FROM TXWY D. THE PLT INFORMED AUSTIN TWR OF POS AND ACFT CONDITION IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACFT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. AN ARPT OPS REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVED TO EVALUATE THE SIT. MUELLER CLOSED RWY 17 UNTIL THE NEAREST LIGHT ACFT FACILITY COULD TOW THE DAMAGED ACFT. IT IS THE OPINION OF THIS STUDENT PLT THAT THIS WAS A TRAINING ACCIDENT RESULTING FROM THE INHERENT RISKS OF TEACHING NEW PLTS. THE STUDENT FEELS HE WAS PROPERLY BRIEFED AND CHKED OUT IN THE MANNER PRESCRIBED BY THE FAA AND LCL AVIATION SCHOOLS. GREATER TIME IN ACFT TYPE AND EXPERIENCE UNDER A WIDE RANGE OF CONDITIONS IS ALWAYS BENEFICIAL.

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.