Narrative:

On a private pilot's first lesson in a floatplane, a simulated engine failure at low altitude resulted in 'ground looping' type encounter with the surface of the water, damaging the left wing of the piper supercub floatplane but leaving the student and instructor unharmed. The student demonstrated rapid proficiency in performing air work, having flight experience in similar aircraft during the initial training. The first takeoffs and lndgs on the water were exemplary with the exception of approach speeds on base and final which were 10-12 mph low. As a remedy the instructor decided to have the pilot perform several glide approachs to a full stop. The first one at pattern altitude, 650 AGL, was acceptable so the lesson proceeded to specialized takeoffs and lndgs (ie, crosswind and glassy water). After several more lndgs with slow airspds, the instructor requested the student land the aircraft from a low altitude, and simulating a power loss after a 250 ft climb from takeoff. The pilot balked at lowering the nose to maintain best glide speed of 70 mph and didn't lower the nose when cautioned by the instructor. The instructor attempted a recovery from the nose high attitude too close to the water. Introducing full throttle at 5-10 ft over the water prior to touchdown, torque rolled the aircraft to the left and the left contacted the water before the instructor was able to right the plane and prevent capsizing. Neither the student or pilot were injured. When asked afterward if the student (private pilot) had experience with low altitude emergency operations and aborted takeoff procedures he said none of any depth and was not even tested for engine failure procedures during the private pilot practical flight test. This incident most likely could have been avoided by the instructor by firstly proceeding at a slower pace during the beginning instruction phase. Introducing simpler maneuvers and allowing the student more opportunity for developing basics in a new environment. In the fast paced training schedule typical of most seaplane training operation/instruction should not wander from standard syllabus structure for the occasional student who may appear to be a quick learner on the surface but who's flight experience is actually low time and limited.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT INSTRUCTOR EXCEEDED THE LIMITATIONS OF HIS STUDENT AND THE AIRPLANE BY SIMULATING AN ENG FAILURE TOO LOW OF AIRSPD AND ALT TO RECOVER AND STALLED SO THAT THE WING STRUCK THE WATER AND THE FLOATPLANE WATERLOOPED.

Narrative: ON A PVT PLT'S FIRST LESSON IN A FLOATPLANE, A SIMULATED ENG FAILURE AT LOW ALT RESULTED IN 'GND LOOPING' TYPE ENCOUNTER WITH THE SURFACE OF THE WATER, DAMAGING THE L WING OF THE PIPER SUPERCUB FLOATPLANE BUT LEAVING THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR UNHARMED. THE STUDENT DEMONSTRATED RAPID PROFICIENCY IN PERFORMING AIR WORK, HAVING FLT EXPERIENCE IN SIMILAR ACFT DURING THE INITIAL TRAINING. THE FIRST TKOFS AND LNDGS ON THE WATER WERE EXEMPLARY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF APCH SPDS ON BASE AND FINAL WHICH WERE 10-12 MPH LOW. AS A REMEDY THE INSTRUCTOR DECIDED TO HAVE THE PLT PERFORM SEVERAL GLIDE APCHS TO A FULL STOP. THE FIRST ONE AT PATTERN ALT, 650 AGL, WAS ACCEPTABLE SO THE LESSON PROCEEDED TO SPECIALIZED TKOFS AND LNDGS (IE, XWIND AND GLASSY WATER). AFTER SEVERAL MORE LNDGS WITH SLOW AIRSPDS, THE INSTRUCTOR REQUESTED THE STUDENT LAND THE ACFT FROM A LOW ALT, AND SIMULATING A PWR LOSS AFTER A 250 FT CLB FROM TKOF. THE PLT BALKED AT LOWERING THE NOSE TO MAINTAIN BEST GLIDE SPD OF 70 MPH AND DIDN'T LOWER THE NOSE WHEN CAUTIONED BY THE INSTRUCTOR. THE INSTRUCTOR ATTEMPTED A RECOVERY FROM THE NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE TOO CLOSE TO THE WATER. INTRODUCING FULL THROTTLE AT 5-10 FT OVER THE WATER PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, TORQUE ROLLED THE ACFT TO THE L AND THE L CONTACTED THE WATER BEFORE THE INSTRUCTOR WAS ABLE TO RIGHT THE PLANE AND PREVENT CAPSIZING. NEITHER THE STUDENT OR PLT WERE INJURED. WHEN ASKED AFTERWARD IF THE STUDENT (PVT PLT) HAD EXPERIENCE WITH LOW ALT EMER OPS AND ABORTED TKOF PROCS HE SAID NONE OF ANY DEPTH AND WAS NOT EVEN TESTED FOR ENG FAILURE PROCS DURING THE PVT PLT PRACTICAL FLT TEST. THIS INCIDENT MOST LIKELY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY THE INSTRUCTOR BY FIRSTLY PROCEEDING AT A SLOWER PACE DURING THE BEGINNING INSTRUCTION PHASE. INTRODUCING SIMPLER MANEUVERS AND ALLOWING THE STUDENT MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPING BASICS IN A NEW ENVIRONMENT. IN THE FAST PACED TRAINING SCHEDULE TYPICAL OF MOST SEAPLANE TRAINING OP/INSTRUCTION SHOULD NOT WANDER FROM STANDARD SYLLABUS STRUCTURE FOR THE OCCASIONAL STUDENT WHO MAY APPEAR TO BE A QUICK LEARNER ON THE SURFACE BUT WHO'S FLT EXPERIENCE IS ACTUALLY LOW TIME AND LIMITED.

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.