Aircraft damaged during landing practice.

Attributes
ACN	278053
Time
Date	199407
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : csg
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked landing other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 1450 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	278053
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were on a training flight. After several touch and goes, the last landing was firm, but not hard. We proceeded to the ramp area and shut down. After shutdown, I noticed fuel was leaking from the right engine. Since the engine was hot, we called the crash truck to prevent any fire. The gascolator bowl came loose. We reinstalled the bowl. Later on, we noticed there was some wrinkled skin on the aircraft. Upon further inspection, we found 5 rivets that had previously been popped (because you could tell they had been rubbing). I had the student preflight it because I was on another flight. I firmly believe that the aircraft was already damaged or weakened from previous training. The aircraft was just 50 hours out of an annual, but we were having a lot of trouble with it. The mechanics may have let something go or not have caught it. The owner was notified that evening. No accident/incident report was filed immediately afterward because it was just some wrinkled skin. Being an meii for 2 yrs, I feel very strongly that the aircraft was already damaged or weakened because the landing wasn't a hard landing. Being the instructor, I should have preflted the aircraft. The rippled skin could have already been there and we just took the blame.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DAMAGED DURING LNDG PRACTICE.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A TRAINING FLT. AFTER SEVERAL TOUCH AND GOES, THE LAST LNDG WAS FIRM, BUT NOT HARD. WE PROCEEDED TO THE RAMP AREA AND SHUT DOWN. AFTER SHUTDOWN, I NOTICED FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE R ENG. SINCE THE ENG WAS HOT, WE CALLED THE CRASH TRUCK TO PREVENT ANY FIRE. THE GASCOLATOR BOWL CAME LOOSE. WE REINSTALLED THE BOWL. LATER ON, WE NOTICED THERE WAS SOME WRINKLED SKIN ON THE ACFT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, WE FOUND 5 RIVETS THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN POPPED (BECAUSE YOU COULD TELL THEY HAD BEEN RUBBING). I HAD THE STUDENT PREFLT IT BECAUSE I WAS ON ANOTHER FLT. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE ACFT WAS ALREADY DAMAGED OR WEAKENED FROM PREVIOUS TRAINING. THE ACFT WAS JUST 50 HRS OUT OF AN ANNUAL, BUT WE WERE HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH IT. THE MECHS MAY HAVE LET SOMETHING GO OR NOT HAVE CAUGHT IT. THE OWNER WAS NOTIFIED THAT EVENING. NO ACCIDENT/INCIDENT RPT WAS FILED IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD BECAUSE IT WAS JUST SOME WRINKLED SKIN. BEING AN MEII FOR 2 YRS, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THE ACFT WAS ALREADY DAMAGED OR WEAKENED BECAUSE THE LNDG WASN'T A HARD LNDG. BEING THE INSTRUCTOR, I SHOULD HAVE PREFLTED THE ACFT. THE RIPPLED SKIN COULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN THERE AND WE JUST TOOK THE BLAME.

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.