Narrative:

While instructing a relatively new student in a piper PA38-112 tomahawk, in light (6 KTS or less) crosswind conditions, a situation arose where I had to assume control of the aircraft. The student was tracking well to the left of the centerline and the wind was from the right. He began to flare the aircraft too high above the runway and pitched the nose too high as well. All 3 of these factors (centerline tracking, flare ht, and pitch) are common, natural mistakes for new students, and I was attempting to talk him through the procedure. By the time I took the controls to initiate a go around the aircraft was in a ridiculously nose-high attitude. Full power only produced a barely ctlable, imminent stall condition with the aircraft 'mushing' a few ft above the ground. I have never had an aircraft so far behind the power curve in my life. The combination of right crosswind and left turning tendencies served to push us off to the left, over a grassy area between the runway and a parallel taxiway. I felt the aircraft was not going to climb. I could not raise the nose any further for fear of stalling, and did not want to lower it so close to the ground. I elected to gently reduce power at that point as I felt I had enough grass ahead to land safely. Once I got the aircraft on the ground, I realized we were approaching a crossing taxiway with lights on either side. I then added power and sharply increased pitch to 'hop' the taxiway. I cleared the taxiway lights by all but an inch. I struck one on each side of the taxiway and rolled to a stop in the grass beyond. I then shut down the aircraft and made certain my student was unharmed. Before switching off the master, I used the radio to call my employer at the FBO and asked him to come get us. The aircraft was largely unscathed. The propeller had not been struck, the nose gear was sound, and nothing appeared out of place. After about 5 mins of searching, a dent was discovered on the underside near the root of the left wing. This was later determined to be 'cosmetic' and not structural. This incident was entirely my fault. Had I taken control a second or 2 sooner, I feel certain the entire situation would have been avoided. I have faced this same scenario several dozen times in the past and avoided an unpleasant outcome each time. I am lucky that no one was hurt, that the aircraft received only minor damage, that I am still employed as a CFI, and that my student has elected to continue his training with me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT TAKES CTL TOO LATE TO AVOID RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: WHILE INSTRUCTING A RELATIVELY NEW STUDENT IN A PIPER PA38-112 TOMAHAWK, IN LIGHT (6 KTS OR LESS) XWIND CONDITIONS, A SIT AROSE WHERE I HAD TO ASSUME CTL OF THE ACFT. THE STUDENT WAS TRACKING WELL TO THE L OF THE CTRLINE AND THE WIND WAS FROM THE R. HE BEGAN TO FLARE THE ACFT TOO HIGH ABOVE THE RWY AND PITCHED THE NOSE TOO HIGH AS WELL. ALL 3 OF THESE FACTORS (CTRLINE TRACKING, FLARE HT, AND PITCH) ARE COMMON, NATURAL MISTAKES FOR NEW STUDENTS, AND I WAS ATTEMPTING TO TALK HIM THROUGH THE PROC. BY THE TIME I TOOK THE CTLS TO INITIATE A GAR THE ACFT WAS IN A RIDICULOUSLY NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE. FULL PWR ONLY PRODUCED A BARELY CTLABLE, IMMINENT STALL CONDITION WITH THE ACFT 'MUSHING' A FEW FT ABOVE THE GND. I HAVE NEVER HAD AN ACFT SO FAR BEHIND THE PWR CURVE IN MY LIFE. THE COMBINATION OF R XWIND AND L TURNING TENDENCIES SERVED TO PUSH US OFF TO THE L, OVER A GRASSY AREA BTWN THE RWY AND A PARALLEL TXWY. I FELT THE ACFT WAS NOT GOING TO CLB. I COULD NOT RAISE THE NOSE ANY FURTHER FOR FEAR OF STALLING, AND DID NOT WANT TO LOWER IT SO CLOSE TO THE GND. I ELECTED TO GENTLY REDUCE PWR AT THAT POINT AS I FELT I HAD ENOUGH GRASS AHEAD TO LAND SAFELY. ONCE I GOT THE ACFT ON THE GND, I REALIZED WE WERE APCHING A XING TXWY WITH LIGHTS ON EITHER SIDE. I THEN ADDED PWR AND SHARPLY INCREASED PITCH TO 'HOP' THE TXWY. I CLRED THE TXWY LIGHTS BY ALL BUT AN INCH. I STRUCK ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE TXWY AND ROLLED TO A STOP IN THE GRASS BEYOND. I THEN SHUT DOWN THE ACFT AND MADE CERTAIN MY STUDENT WAS UNHARMED. BEFORE SWITCHING OFF THE MASTER, I USED THE RADIO TO CALL MY EMPLOYER AT THE FBO AND ASKED HIM TO COME GET US. THE ACFT WAS LARGELY UNSCATHED. THE PROP HAD NOT BEEN STRUCK, THE NOSE GEAR WAS SOUND, AND NOTHING APPEARED OUT OF PLACE. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS OF SEARCHING, A DENT WAS DISCOVERED ON THE UNDERSIDE NEAR THE ROOT OF THE L WING. THIS WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE 'COSMETIC' AND NOT STRUCTURAL. THIS INCIDENT WAS ENTIRELY MY FAULT. HAD I TAKEN CTL A SECOND OR 2 SOONER, I FEEL CERTAIN THE ENTIRE SIT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. I HAVE FACED THIS SAME SCENARIO SEVERAL DOZEN TIMES IN THE PAST AND AVOIDED AN UNPLEASANT OUTCOME EACH TIME. I AM LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS HURT, THAT THE ACFT RECEIVED ONLY MINOR DAMAGE, THAT I AM STILL EMPLOYED AS A CFI, AND THAT MY STUDENT HAS ELECTED TO CONTINUE HIS TRAINING WITH ME.

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.