Student pilot on first solo flight damages aircraft during landing procedure. The aircraft appeared ...

Attributes
ACN	372403
Time
Date	199706
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mlu
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1100 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	372403
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After performing 4 uneventful touch-and-goes, the instructor got out of the aircraft for the purpose of soloing his student for the first time. The student, a 70+ yr old male, taxied to the active runway and made a normal takeoff. The student remained in the pattern apparently utilizing his checklist and was about to make what seemed like a normal landing. After turning final the student appeared to be slightly high but it appeared the approach could be continued safely. After rounding out, the aircraft floated approximately 10 ft AGL in a normal landing attitude. After roughly 200-300 ft of floating, the aircraft nose dropped sharply immediately followed by a sharp upward movement, then continued down the runway as it was before with no audible power adjustment. After an additional 200-300 ft of floating, the aircraft touched down normally. However, seconds after touchdown, the aircraft began to porpoise down the runway gradually becoming more violent. After approximately 5-7 porpoises, the aircraft settled down and taxied clear of the runway. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the nose wheel strut had exploded, the nose tire destroyed, and the lower support had been partially separated from the skin of the aircraft. The apparent unresponsiveness of the perhaps panicked student may have been a contributing factor.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON FIRST SOLO FLT DAMAGES ACFT DURING LNDG PROC. THE ACFT APPEARED TO HAVE PORPOISED BEFORE AND AFTER LNDG. RPTR CFI SAYS IT WAS A 'NORMAL' TOUCHDOWN.

Narrative: AFTER PERFORMING 4 UNEVENTFUL TOUCH-AND-GOES, THE INSTRUCTOR GOT OUT OF THE ACFT FOR THE PURPOSE OF SOLOING HIS STUDENT FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE STUDENT, A 70+ YR OLD MALE, TAXIED TO THE ACTIVE RWY AND MADE A NORMAL TKOF. THE STUDENT REMAINED IN THE PATTERN APPARENTLY UTILIZING HIS CHKLIST AND WAS ABOUT TO MAKE WHAT SEEMED LIKE A NORMAL LNDG. AFTER TURNING FINAL THE STUDENT APPEARED TO BE SLIGHTLY HIGH BUT IT APPEARED THE APCH COULD BE CONTINUED SAFELY. AFTER ROUNDING OUT, THE ACFT FLOATED APPROX 10 FT AGL IN A NORMAL LNDG ATTITUDE. AFTER ROUGHLY 200-300 FT OF FLOATING, THE ACFT NOSE DROPPED SHARPLY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A SHARP UPWARD MOVEMENT, THEN CONTINUED DOWN THE RWY AS IT WAS BEFORE WITH NO AUDIBLE PWR ADJUSTMENT. AFTER AN ADDITIONAL 200-300 FT OF FLOATING, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN NORMALLY. HOWEVER, SECONDS AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT BEGAN TO PORPOISE DOWN THE RWY GRADUALLY BECOMING MORE VIOLENT. AFTER APPROX 5-7 PORPOISES, THE ACFT SETTLED DOWN AND TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE NOSE WHEEL STRUT HAD EXPLODED, THE NOSE TIRE DESTROYED, AND THE LOWER SUPPORT HAD BEEN PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE SKIN OF THE ACFT. THE APPARENT UNRESPONSIVENESS OF THE PERHAPS PANICKED STUDENT MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

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.

Student pilot on first solo flight damages aircraft during landing procedure. The aircraft appeared to have porpoised before and after landing. Reporter CFI says it was a 'normal' touchdown.