Narrative:

On the morning of aug/wed/00, I was acting as PIC and CFI/glider giving instruction to a private glider pilot in a katana extreme motor glider. This pilot had recently purchased a single place motor glider, and was seeking a self launch endorsement as per far 61.31(J)(III) to satisfy regulatory and insurance requirements. We had done about 2 hours of ground work the previous evening covering poh knowledge including limitations, normal and emergency operations, system, and flight characteristics peculiar to this aircraft. Because of excessive xwinds, and the limited crosswind capability of this aircraft, we delayed the flight training until the morning on aug/wed/00. The preflight briefing covered seatbelts, egress, emergencys, PIC responsibilities, positive exchange of aircraft controls, and what training we would accomplish. Using the private pilot glider pts as a syllabus, I briefed the student that among other things we would be practicing emergency procedures including simulated loss of power immediately after takeoff. I briefed him that we would do 2 emergency engine out scenarios -- one below 200 ft AGL, and the other above 300 ft AGL. If below 200 ft AGL, I expected him to maintain control of the aircraft, and land straight ahead on the remaining runway. Above 300 ft AGL, I expected him to, traffic and wind permitting, return and land on his departure runway. The extreme has the advantage of climbing well above its own glide path, so you can just about always return to your departure runway if you descend steeply enough and the winds cooperate. We taxied to runway 13 (8600 ft) in calm winds, no reported traffic in the pattern. After runup and pretkof checklists were complete, my student departed runway 13 and initiated a climb at vy, climbing at about 1000 FPM and a fairly steep deck angle. At 200 ft AGL, I retarded the throttle to idle and declared a simulated engine failure. He pitched the nose over, established proper approach speed and using dive brakes/spoilers, landed safely just beyond the mid point of the runway. After touchdown, I instructed him to stow the dive brakes, and again depart at full throttle. He again established a vy climb and we had reached 300 ft AGL as we crossed the departure end of the runway. I again reduced the throttle to idle and declared a simulated engine failure. He pitched the nose over, established proper approach speed, made a left descending turn back to the departure runway, and using dive brakes/spoilers easily landed on the departure runway. In the process of turning left back toward the runway, we crossed over the GA ramp and hangar areas at approximately 150 ft AGL in a fairly steep nose down attitude. After landing, he cleaned up the aircraft, and then departed runway 31. We continued our training in the practice areas away from the airport. The following day, I did similar training with another glider student pilot, with an engine out at 200 ft AGL and a landing straight ahead, followed by an immediate departure. I don't recall any other aircraft in the pattern that morning either. Later in the week some colleagues brought to my attention a rumor that the airport manager had received complaints regarding the glider doing 'careless and reckless' maneuvers over the airport and was considering reporting a violation to the local FSDO. I called the airport manager and determined that the above operations were those in question. I discussed the matter with my chief pilot in the part 141 school of which I am an employee. I discussed the operations with the glider operations inspector from my local FSDO. The chief pilot and the FSDO inspector both believe that the training maneuvers were safe and appropriate for the aircraft being flown. I am filing this report as a precaution against any charge that may arise from these events including 'careless and reckless' or aerobatic operation over the airport.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MOTOR GLIDER WAS DOING ENG FAILURE ON TKOF TRAINING AT PVU.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF AUG/WED/00, I WAS ACTING AS PIC AND CFI/GLIDER GIVING INSTRUCTION TO A PVT GLIDER PLT IN A KATANA EXTREME MOTOR GLIDER. THIS PLT HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED A SINGLE PLACE MOTOR GLIDER, AND WAS SEEKING A SELF LAUNCH ENDORSEMENT AS PER FAR 61.31(J)(III) TO SATISFY REGULATORY AND INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS. WE HAD DONE ABOUT 2 HRS OF GND WORK THE PREVIOUS EVENING COVERING POH KNOWLEDGE INCLUDING LIMITATIONS, NORMAL AND EMER OPS, SYS, AND FLT CHARACTERISTICS PECULIAR TO THIS ACFT. BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE XWINDS, AND THE LIMITED XWIND CAPABILITY OF THIS ACFT, WE DELAYED THE FLT TRAINING UNTIL THE MORNING ON AUG/WED/00. THE PREFLT BRIEFING COVERED SEATBELTS, EGRESS, EMERS, PIC RESPONSIBILITIES, POSITIVE EXCHANGE OF ACFT CTLS, AND WHAT TRAINING WE WOULD ACCOMPLISH. USING THE PVT PLT GLIDER PTS AS A SYLLABUS, I BRIEFED THE STUDENT THAT AMONG OTHER THINGS WE WOULD BE PRACTICING EMER PROCS INCLUDING SIMULATED LOSS OF PWR IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF. I BRIEFED HIM THAT WE WOULD DO 2 EMER ENG OUT SCENARIOS -- ONE BELOW 200 FT AGL, AND THE OTHER ABOVE 300 FT AGL. IF BELOW 200 FT AGL, I EXPECTED HIM TO MAINTAIN CTL OF THE ACFT, AND LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE REMAINING RWY. ABOVE 300 FT AGL, I EXPECTED HIM TO, TFC AND WIND PERMITTING, RETURN AND LAND ON HIS DEP RWY. THE EXTREME HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF CLBING WELL ABOVE ITS OWN GLIDE PATH, SO YOU CAN JUST ABOUT ALWAYS RETURN TO YOUR DEP RWY IF YOU DSND STEEPLY ENOUGH AND THE WINDS COOPERATE. WE TAXIED TO RWY 13 (8600 FT) IN CALM WINDS, NO RPTED TFC IN THE PATTERN. AFTER RUNUP AND PRETKOF CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETE, MY STUDENT DEPARTED RWY 13 AND INITIATED A CLB AT VY, CLBING AT ABOUT 1000 FPM AND A FAIRLY STEEP DECK ANGLE. AT 200 FT AGL, I RETARDED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND DECLARED A SIMULATED ENG FAILURE. HE PITCHED THE NOSE OVER, ESTABLISHED PROPER APCH SPD AND USING DIVE BRAKES/SPOILERS, LANDED SAFELY JUST BEYOND THE MID POINT OF THE RWY. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, I INSTRUCTED HIM TO STOW THE DIVE BRAKES, AND AGAIN DEPART AT FULL THROTTLE. HE AGAIN ESTABLISHED A VY CLB AND WE HAD REACHED 300 FT AGL AS WE CROSSED THE DEP END OF THE RWY. I AGAIN REDUCED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND DECLARED A SIMULATED ENG FAILURE. HE PITCHED THE NOSE OVER, ESTABLISHED PROPER APCH SPD, MADE A L DSNDING TURN BACK TO THE DEP RWY, AND USING DIVE BRAKES/SPOILERS EASILY LANDED ON THE DEP RWY. IN THE PROCESS OF TURNING L BACK TOWARD THE RWY, WE CROSSED OVER THE GA RAMP AND HANGAR AREAS AT APPROX 150 FT AGL IN A FAIRLY STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. AFTER LNDG, HE CLEANED UP THE ACFT, AND THEN DEPARTED RWY 31. WE CONTINUED OUR TRAINING IN THE PRACTICE AREAS AWAY FROM THE ARPT. THE FOLLOWING DAY, I DID SIMILAR TRAINING WITH ANOTHER GLIDER STUDENT PLT, WITH AN ENG OUT AT 200 FT AGL AND A LNDG STRAIGHT AHEAD, FOLLOWED BY AN IMMEDIATE DEP. I DON'T RECALL ANY OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN THAT MORNING EITHER. LATER IN THE WK SOME COLLEAGUES BROUGHT TO MY ATTN A RUMOR THAT THE ARPT MGR HAD RECEIVED COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE GLIDER DOING 'CARELESS AND RECKLESS' MANEUVERS OVER THE ARPT AND WAS CONSIDERING RPTING A VIOLATION TO THE LCL FSDO. I CALLED THE ARPT MGR AND DETERMINED THAT THE ABOVE OPS WERE THOSE IN QUESTION. I DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH MY CHIEF PLT IN THE PART 141 SCHOOL OF WHICH I AM AN EMPLOYEE. I DISCUSSED THE OPS WITH THE GLIDER OPS INSPECTOR FROM MY LCL FSDO. THE CHIEF PLT AND THE FSDO INSPECTOR BOTH BELIEVE THAT THE TRAINING MANEUVERS WERE SAFE AND APPROPRIATE FOR THE ACFT BEING FLOWN. I AM FILING THIS RPT AS A PRECAUTION AGAINST ANY CHARGE THAT MAY ARISE FROM THESE EVENTS INCLUDING 'CARELESS AND RECKLESS' OR AEROBATIC OP OVER THE ARPT.

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.