As a favor to a fellow CFI, a flight instructor finds that the student pilot he signed off for a cro...

Attributes
ACN	400558
Time
Date	199804
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ofk
State Reference	NE
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 711 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	400558
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground 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	other

Narrative:

Upon reviewing and signing off the student pilot certification for the cross country flight, I was later informed that, upon arriving at the norfolk airport, that the student pilot had collapsed the nose gear on the PA28-140. After discussing, at length, with the student I was able to determine that the nose gear had collapsed due to the student porpoising the aircraft in an attempt to land. The student had originally started flying C152's and had only had 18 hours in type. I believe that this lower time was a contributing factor to the incident. Having only flown 2 other times with this student and allowing the other instructor's solo endorsement to solo the airplane by the student gave me little idea of his flying abilities. I endorsed the student's cross country endorsement after reviewing his plan and finding winds and ceiling to be acceptable for the solo flight. This puts an instructor in a bad position to have to endorse a student for cross country flts without even having to have flown with the student before. I believe that this could be a part that could have contributed to the possibility of overlooking a problem area. A suggestion is that the instructor that endorses for solo flts be the person who signs off the cross country.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AS A FAVOR TO A FELLOW CFI, A FLT INSTRUCTOR FINDS THAT THE STUDENT PLT HE SIGNED OFF FOR A XCOUNTRY LANDS A PA28-140 AT OFK AND COLLAPSES THE NOSE GEAR.

Narrative: UPON REVIEWING AND SIGNING OFF THE STUDENT PLT CERTIFICATION FOR THE XCOUNTRY FLT, I WAS LATER INFORMED THAT, UPON ARRIVING AT THE NORFOLK ARPT, THAT THE STUDENT PLT HAD COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR ON THE PA28-140. AFTER DISCUSSING, AT LENGTH, WITH THE STUDENT I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE NOSE GEAR HAD COLLAPSED DUE TO THE STUDENT PORPOISING THE ACFT IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND. THE STUDENT HAD ORIGINALLY STARTED FLYING C152'S AND HAD ONLY HAD 18 HRS IN TYPE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS LOWER TIME WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE INCIDENT. HAVING ONLY FLOWN 2 OTHER TIMES WITH THIS STUDENT AND ALLOWING THE OTHER INSTRUCTOR'S SOLO ENDORSEMENT TO SOLO THE AIRPLANE BY THE STUDENT GAVE ME LITTLE IDEA OF HIS FLYING ABILITIES. I ENDORSED THE STUDENT'S XCOUNTRY ENDORSEMENT AFTER REVIEWING HIS PLAN AND FINDING WINDS AND CEILING TO BE ACCEPTABLE FOR THE SOLO FLT. THIS PUTS AN INSTRUCTOR IN A BAD POS TO HAVE TO ENDORSE A STUDENT FOR XCOUNTRY FLTS WITHOUT EVEN HAVING TO HAVE FLOWN WITH THE STUDENT BEFORE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS COULD BE A PART THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE POSSIBILITY OF OVERLOOKING A PROB AREA. A SUGGESTION IS THAT THE INSTRUCTOR THAT ENDORSES FOR SOLO FLTS BE THE PERSON WHO SIGNS OFF THE XCOUNTRY.

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.

As a favor to a fellow CFI, a flight instructor finds that the student pilot he signed off for a cross country lands a PA28-140 at ofk and collapses the nose gear.