Private pilot training for his commercial certificate rating, in a piper arrow, PA28R-200, and accom...

Attributes
ACN	408183
Time
Date	199807
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 13wa
State Reference	WA
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 Arrow IV
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 145 flight time total : 2560 flight time type : 8
ASRS Report	408183
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 680 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	408184
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was receiving dual instruction on a VFR training flight. Instructor asked me to take us into a local strip for some short field landing practice. We passed over the field and decided to land in a northbound direction (winds were calm). Joined circuit from the east side at a 45 degrees for right downwind. Executed short field landing procedure as per poh. Gear down, full flaps, 80 mph (strip is 1700 ft long by 24 ft). Approach was very stable. Over threshold began flare. Nose lifted but no appreciable arrest in descent rate. Aircraft landed hard (did not bounce). The decision was made to stop and make a brief inspection of landing gear prior to further flight. Nose gear and left main showed no signs of damage. Right main gear had sustained damage. Buckling at spar and causing some wrinkling of the upper wing surface. Local a&P made a quick inspection of the gear and recommended not to continue flight until a ferry permit was issued and a more in-depth look at the damage could be made. Elected to leave aircraft there until this could be completed. My belief is that as we descended below the tree tops we experienced a decreasing performance windshear robbing us of airspeed required to arrest descent rate. There was no time for myself or the instructor to recover. In the future around tall shielding trees I would recommend a buffer of a few mph in airspeed for an added margin of safety. Further note -- first a&P that looked at damage noticed the affected area had been previously repaired and showed signs of previous unrepaired damage in the form of a crack on the gear spar. This was obvious as it was very dirty at that part of the crack and the new (continued) part of the crack was very shiny. In regards to the damage he believed the amount of damage was seriously increased due to the previous cracking in the affected area. It is my personal opinion that this damage would not have occurred if it weren't for the previous unrepaired damage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT TRAINING FOR HIS COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE RATING, IN A PIPER ARROW, PA28R-200, AND ACCOMPANIED BY A FLT INSTRUCTOR, MADE A HARD LNDG CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE WING SPAR WHERE THE R LNDG GEAR IS ATTACHED. AREA HAD BEEN DAMAGED PREVIOUSLY.

Narrative: I WAS RECEIVING DUAL INSTRUCTION ON A VFR TRAINING FLT. INSTRUCTOR ASKED ME TO TAKE US INTO A LCL STRIP FOR SOME SHORT FIELD LNDG PRACTICE. WE PASSED OVER THE FIELD AND DECIDED TO LAND IN A NBOUND DIRECTION (WINDS WERE CALM). JOINED CIRCUIT FROM THE E SIDE AT A 45 DEGS FOR R DOWNWIND. EXECUTED SHORT FIELD LNDG PROC AS PER POH. GEAR DOWN, FULL FLAPS, 80 MPH (STRIP IS 1700 FT LONG BY 24 FT). APCH WAS VERY STABLE. OVER THRESHOLD BEGAN FLARE. NOSE LIFTED BUT NO APPRECIABLE ARREST IN DSCNT RATE. ACFT LANDED HARD (DID NOT BOUNCE). THE DECISION WAS MADE TO STOP AND MAKE A BRIEF INSPECTION OF LNDG GEAR PRIOR TO FURTHER FLT. NOSE GEAR AND L MAIN SHOWED NO SIGNS OF DAMAGE. R MAIN GEAR HAD SUSTAINED DAMAGE. BUCKLING AT SPAR AND CAUSING SOME WRINKLING OF THE UPPER WING SURFACE. LCL A&P MADE A QUICK INSPECTION OF THE GEAR AND RECOMMENDED NOT TO CONTINUE FLT UNTIL A FERRY PERMIT WAS ISSUED AND A MORE IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE DAMAGE COULD BE MADE. ELECTED TO LEAVE ACFT THERE UNTIL THIS COULD BE COMPLETED. MY BELIEF IS THAT AS WE DSNDED BELOW THE TREE TOPS WE EXPERIENCED A DECREASING PERFORMANCE WINDSHEAR ROBBING US OF AIRSPD REQUIRED TO ARREST DSCNT RATE. THERE WAS NO TIME FOR MYSELF OR THE INSTRUCTOR TO RECOVER. IN THE FUTURE AROUND TALL SHIELDING TREES I WOULD RECOMMEND A BUFFER OF A FEW MPH IN AIRSPD FOR AN ADDED MARGIN OF SAFETY. FURTHER NOTE -- FIRST A&P THAT LOOKED AT DAMAGE NOTICED THE AFFECTED AREA HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED AND SHOWED SIGNS OF PREVIOUS UNREPAIRED DAMAGE IN THE FORM OF A CRACK ON THE GEAR SPAR. THIS WAS OBVIOUS AS IT WAS VERY DIRTY AT THAT PART OF THE CRACK AND THE NEW (CONTINUED) PART OF THE CRACK WAS VERY SHINY. IN REGARDS TO THE DAMAGE HE BELIEVED THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE WAS SERIOUSLY INCREASED DUE TO THE PREVIOUS CRACKING IN THE AFFECTED AREA. IT IS MY PERSONAL OPINION THAT THIS DAMAGE WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE PREVIOUS UNREPAIRED DAMAGE.

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.

Private pilot training for his commercial certificate rating, in a piper arrow, PA28R-200, and accompanied by a flight instructor, made a hard landing causing damage to the wing spar where the right landing gear is attached. Area had been damaged previously.