Narrative:

I was transitioning the pilot who had an expired bi-annual flight review. He hadn't flown in 2 yrs and had just gotten his third class medical reinstated. I had been working with the pilot since mid apr 2001 and had given him approximately 20 hours of instruction. He was really starting to settle in with the airplane. This was his third landing. His first 2 were ok to good. On this third landing, he was about to touch down when he ballooned the airplane. I had been teaching him to add a 'touch' of power when that happens then to freeze the controls and let the airplane gently settle back down on the runway. He added way too much power. I asked him if he was going to do a go around. He said no. The airplane then yawed 45-60 degrees from the centerline. I grabbed the controls and retarded the throttle, trying to straighten out the airplane. The pilot then pushed the throttle to full power. The nose went up into a ground level unusual attitude, the airplane yawed badly, now 90 degrees to the centerline. The right wing dropped to within a couple ft of the runway surface. Still somewhat airborne, the airplane left the runway and landed on the grass, traveling down an embankment, through a muddy basin up the embankment on the other side, over a taxiway, down another embankment. I finally regained control and brought the airplane to a stop, then taxied it out of the grass and back onto the taxiway to the ramp, and then shut it down. Miraculously, we avoided hitting runway/taxiway signs and runway/taxiway lights. Except for some mud and clumps of freshly mowed grass, there was not a mark on the airplane. No landing gear damage, no flap damage, no wing damage, and no propeller damage. Lessons learned for me and my student: clearly establish who has control of the airplane! Lessons learned for my student: 1) make a decision and stick to it. Go around if that's what you want to do, but don't vacillate. 2) gentle inputs for control and power. Don't overdo it on either. 3) never stop flying the airplane. Don't give up. 4) don't 'fight' the instructor for the controls. Let go when the instructor takes the controls. I told my student that we were incredibly lucky and that he should be very thankful that his brand new airplane was not even scratched. I later said a prayer of thanksgiving.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT OF SMA LOST DIRECTIONAL CTL OF ACFT DURING LNDG FLARE CAUSING THE RPTING INSTRUCTOR PLT TO TAKE CTL AND EVENTUALLY BRING THE ACFT TO A STOP AFTER GOING OFF THE RWY, THROUGH A DITCH AND OVER 2 TXWYS. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE BRAND NEW ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS TRANSITIONING THE PLT WHO HAD AN EXPIRED BI-ANNUAL FLT REVIEW. HE HADN'T FLOWN IN 2 YRS AND HAD JUST GOTTEN HIS THIRD CLASS MEDICAL REINSTATED. I HAD BEEN WORKING WITH THE PLT SINCE MID APR 2001 AND HAD GIVEN HIM APPROX 20 HRS OF INSTRUCTION. HE WAS REALLY STARTING TO SETTLE IN WITH THE AIRPLANE. THIS WAS HIS THIRD LNDG. HIS FIRST 2 WERE OK TO GOOD. ON THIS THIRD LNDG, HE WAS ABOUT TO TOUCH DOWN WHEN HE BALLOONED THE AIRPLANE. I HAD BEEN TEACHING HIM TO ADD A 'TOUCH' OF PWR WHEN THAT HAPPENS THEN TO FREEZE THE CTLS AND LET THE AIRPLANE GENTLY SETTLE BACK DOWN ON THE RWY. HE ADDED WAY TOO MUCH PWR. I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS GOING TO DO A GAR. HE SAID NO. THE AIRPLANE THEN YAWED 45-60 DEGS FROM THE CTRLINE. I GRABBED THE CTLS AND RETARDED THE THROTTLE, TRYING TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE AIRPLANE. THE PLT THEN PUSHED THE THROTTLE TO FULL PWR. THE NOSE WENT UP INTO A GND LEVEL UNUSUAL ATTITUDE, THE AIRPLANE YAWED BADLY, NOW 90 DEGS TO THE CTRLINE. THE R WING DROPPED TO WITHIN A COUPLE FT OF THE RWY SURFACE. STILL SOMEWHAT AIRBORNE, THE AIRPLANE LEFT THE RWY AND LANDED ON THE GRASS, TRAVELING DOWN AN EMBANKMENT, THROUGH A MUDDY BASIN UP THE EMBANKMENT ON THE OTHER SIDE, OVER A TXWY, DOWN ANOTHER EMBANKMENT. I FINALLY REGAINED CTL AND BROUGHT THE AIRPLANE TO A STOP, THEN TAXIED IT OUT OF THE GRASS AND BACK ONTO THE TXWY TO THE RAMP, AND THEN SHUT IT DOWN. MIRACULOUSLY, WE AVOIDED HITTING RWY/TXWY SIGNS AND RWY/TXWY LIGHTS. EXCEPT FOR SOME MUD AND CLUMPS OF FRESHLY MOWED GRASS, THERE WAS NOT A MARK ON THE AIRPLANE. NO LNDG GEAR DAMAGE, NO FLAP DAMAGE, NO WING DAMAGE, AND NO PROP DAMAGE. LESSONS LEARNED FOR ME AND MY STUDENT: CLRLY ESTABLISH WHO HAS CTL OF THE AIRPLANE! LESSONS LEARNED FOR MY STUDENT: 1) MAKE A DECISION AND STICK TO IT. GO AROUND IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, BUT DON'T VACILLATE. 2) GENTLE INPUTS FOR CTL AND PWR. DON'T OVERDO IT ON EITHER. 3) NEVER STOP FLYING THE AIRPLANE. DON'T GIVE UP. 4) DON'T 'FIGHT' THE INSTRUCTOR FOR THE CTLS. LET GO WHEN THE INSTRUCTOR TAKES THE CTLS. I TOLD MY STUDENT THAT WE WERE INCREDIBLY LUCKY AND THAT HE SHOULD BE VERY THANKFUL THAT HIS BRAND NEW AIRPLANE WAS NOT EVEN SCRATCHED. I LATER SAID A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING.

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.