Student pilot of small aircraft became hesitant to land due to turbulence in the traffic pattern. He...

Attributes
ACN	449763
Time
Date	199909
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cmi.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1100 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cmi.tower
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 85 flight time total : 410 flight time type : 110
ASRS Report	449763
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : turbulence non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : separated traffic flight crew : executed go around flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

A student from my FBO came to me and said he needed more solo time to complete the required 5 hours of solo spelled out by our part 141 private pilot curriculum. I was not his usual instructor, but I had flown with him before. I endorsed his logbook for 90 day currency requirements which had lapsed. I checked the WX and everything seemed to be within his signoff limits of 10 KTS wind and 6 KTS crosswind. Winds wre 330 degrees at 7 KTS and he would be using runway 36. Runway 32/14 and runway 4/22 were closed. The student had 3 hours previous experience solo and had completed his solo cross country. Student took off runway 36 around XA45 and around XB00 I received a call from the tower telling me that the student was having problems in the pattern and had made 3 unsuccessful attempts at landing. It was requested that I come up to the tower. Another instructor and I went up to the tower to get a better view of what was happening. The student was flying 1100 ft patterns at a 1500 ft tpa airport. The student made 1 more attempt at landing and was unsuccessful. At that point the tower controllers declared an emergency and rolled the fire rescue trucks out to the runway. The student was able to land the airplane after the fifth attempt and no harm was done to the pilot or airplane. After the student parked the aircraft he was visibly shaken and explained that he had never flown in such 'bumpy' WX. The student worked 8-5 everyday and had very few hours of midday flying. After the incident, I went back into the air to see how bumpy it was. There was light chop experienced throughout the pattern and the winds were slightly gusty. Nothing my students in the past have had problems with. Conclusion: I should have gone up with the student first to see if he could handle the turbulent conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT OF SMA BECAME HESITANT TO LAND DUE TO TURB IN THE TFC PATTERN. HE FLEW SEVERAL TIMES AROUND THE PATTERN BEFORE A FLT INSTRUCTOR TALKED HIM THROUGH A LNDG. THE TWR CTLR DECLARED AN EMER IN ORDER TO SEPARATE OTHER TFC FROM THE STUDENT'S INTENDED FLT PATH.

Narrative: A STUDENT FROM MY FBO CAME TO ME AND SAID HE NEEDED MORE SOLO TIME TO COMPLETE THE REQUIRED 5 HRS OF SOLO SPELLED OUT BY OUR PART 141 PVT PLT CURRICULUM. I WAS NOT HIS USUAL INSTRUCTOR, BUT I HAD FLOWN WITH HIM BEFORE. I ENDORSED HIS LOGBOOK FOR 90 DAY CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS WHICH HAD LAPSED. I CHKED THE WX AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE WITHIN HIS SIGNOFF LIMITS OF 10 KTS WIND AND 6 KTS XWIND. WINDS WRE 330 DEGS AT 7 KTS AND HE WOULD BE USING RWY 36. RWY 32/14 AND RWY 4/22 WERE CLOSED. THE STUDENT HAD 3 HRS PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE SOLO AND HAD COMPLETED HIS SOLO XCOUNTRY. STUDENT TOOK OFF RWY 36 AROUND XA45 AND AROUND XB00 I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE TWR TELLING ME THAT THE STUDENT WAS HAVING PROBS IN THE PATTERN AND HAD MADE 3 UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS AT LNDG. IT WAS REQUESTED THAT I COME UP TO THE TWR. ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR AND I WENT UP TO THE TWR TO GET A BETTER VIEW OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. THE STUDENT WAS FLYING 1100 FT PATTERNS AT A 1500 FT TPA ARPT. THE STUDENT MADE 1 MORE ATTEMPT AT LNDG AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. AT THAT POINT THE TWR CTLRS DECLARED AN EMER AND ROLLED THE FIRE RESCUE TRUCKS OUT TO THE RWY. THE STUDENT WAS ABLE TO LAND THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE FIFTH ATTEMPT AND NO HARM WAS DONE TO THE PLT OR AIRPLANE. AFTER THE STUDENT PARKED THE ACFT HE WAS VISIBLY SHAKEN AND EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD NEVER FLOWN IN SUCH 'BUMPY' WX. THE STUDENT WORKED 8-5 EVERYDAY AND HAD VERY FEW HRS OF MIDDAY FLYING. AFTER THE INCIDENT, I WENT BACK INTO THE AIR TO SEE HOW BUMPY IT WAS. THERE WAS LIGHT CHOP EXPERIENCED THROUGHOUT THE PATTERN AND THE WINDS WERE SLIGHTLY GUSTY. NOTHING MY STUDENTS IN THE PAST HAVE HAD PROBS WITH. CONCLUSION: I SHOULD HAVE GONE UP WITH THE STUDENT FIRST TO SEE IF HE COULD HANDLE THE TURBULENT CONDITIONS.

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.