Narrative:

Rv-8A is a tandem low wing aircraft, owner builder was receiving transition training from respondent. Previously had received training on give flts in same aircraft from same respondent. First such flight had owner builder in rear set, subsequent for flight had owner builder in front seat. Dual flts numbers three and four were terminated early due to fuel system anomalies, subsequently fixed. Due to these experiences with mechanic issues with the aircraft, the respondent was of a mindset that was alert to possible system malfunctions. The flight that is being reported started with full WX brief from FSS, no untoward WX indications. Start, taxi, run-up and all pretkof checks were careful, complete, and satisfactory. Runway 2 was indicated, ASOS reporting wind about 350 degrees at 5 KTS. Takeoff roll was normal: manifold pressure, RPM, oil press and temperature, rotation speed all normal. Pilot receiving instruction in front seat was flying. After lift off and at about 20 ft AGL, about 1/3 way down the runway, pilot flying began exclaiming ('oh dear, oh dear')) as if something was wrong, and aircraft began oscillating in roll. Crash fire rescue equipment, (respondent) immediately took control of aircraft, and assuming the worst, i.e., possible control system malfunction, determined to land the aircraft on the remaining runway. Transfer of control took place with the aircraft wallowing/rolling left and right, over the left edge of runway, no unusual pitch deviations were noticed, nor airspeed fluctuations. (The unstabilized approach resulted in a touchdown at about 1/2 -2/3 down the runway, three bounces, damaging the nose wheel strut. Discussing the evolution with local aviation safety counselor, the possibility of horizontal wind shear was raised. In retrospect, had wind shear been recognized, the remedy (lower angle of attack ad accelerate, leave power, full on) would have been in conflict with the need to avoid over flying populated area in an aircraft of unknown mechanic control system status, i.e., landing on remainder of runway might no longer have been possible, forcing continuation of flight, and no assurance was avail that other factors than wind shear were not involved. Contributing factor to nose gear damage: on first flight of this aircraft by another pilot, nose wheel assembly had been damaged and subsequently repaired. Last flight before reported one involved a bounced landing by owner builder receiving instruction. The possibility of fatigue or hidden damage to the nose landing gear, not apparent to visual inspection, cannot be ruled out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CFI ALONG WITH THE OWNER OF AN EXPERIMENTAL ACFT EXPERIENCED AN UNCONTROLLABLE OSCILLATING ROLL DURING TKOF. AN EMER LNDG WAS ATTEMPTED ON RWY REMAINING, RESULTING IN THE ACFT'S DEPARTURE TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY.

Narrative: RV-8A IS A TANDEM LOW WING ACFT, OWNER BUILDER WAS RECEIVING TRANSITION TRNG FROM RESPONDENT. PREVIOUSLY HAD RECEIVED TRNG ON GIVE FLTS IN SAME ACFT FROM SAME RESPONDENT. FIRST SUCH FLT HAD OWNER BUILDER IN REAR SET, SUBSEQUENT FOR FLT HAD OWNER BUILDER IN FRONT SEAT. DUAL FLTS NUMBERS THREE AND FOUR WERE TERMINATED EARLY DUE TO FUEL SYS ANOMALIES, SUBSEQUENTLY FIXED. DUE TO THESE EXPERIENCES WITH MECH ISSUES WITH THE ACFT, THE RESPONDENT WAS OF A MINDSET THAT WAS ALERT TO POSSIBLE SYS MALFUNCTIONS. THE FLT THAT IS BEING RPTED STARTED WITH FULL WX BRIEF FROM FSS, NO UNTOWARD WX INDICATIONS. START, TAXI, RUN-UP AND ALL PRETKOF CHECKS WERE CAREFUL, COMPLETE, AND SATISFACTORY. RWY 2 WAS INDICATED, ASOS RPTING WIND ABOUT 350 DEGS AT 5 KTS. TKOF ROLL WAS NORMAL: MANIFOLD PRESSURE, RPM, OIL PRESS AND TEMP, ROTATION SPD ALL NORMAL. PLT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION IN FRONT SEAT WAS FLYING. AFTER LIFT OFF AND AT ABOUT 20 FT AGL, ABOUT 1/3 WAY DOWN THE RWY, PLT FLYING BEGAN EXCLAIMING ('OH DEAR, OH DEAR')) AS IF SOMETHING WAS WRONG, AND ACFT BEGAN OSCILLATING IN ROLL. CFR, (RESPONDENT) IMMEDIATELY TOOK CTL OF ACFT, AND ASSUMING THE WORST, I.E., POSSIBLE CTL SYS MALFUNCTION, DETERMINED TO LAND THE ACFT ON THE REMAINING RWY. TRANSFER OF CTL TOOK PLACE WITH THE ACFT WALLOWING/ROLLING LEFT AND RIGHT, OVER THE LEFT EDGE OF RWY, NO UNUSUAL PITCH DEVIATIONS WERE NOTICED, NOR AIRSPEED FLUCTUATIONS. (THE UNSTABILIZED APCH RESULTED IN A TOUCHDOWN AT ABOUT 1/2 -2/3 DOWN THE RWY, THREE BOUNCES, DAMAGING THE NOSE WHEEL STRUT. DISCUSSING THE EVOLUTION WITH LCL AVIATION SAFETY COUNSELOR, THE POSSIBILITY OF HORIZONTAL WIND SHEAR WAS RAISED. IN RETROSPECT, HAD WIND SHEAR BEEN RECOGNIZED, THE REMEDY (LOWER ANGLE OF ATTACK AD ACCELERATE, LEAVE PWR, FULL ON) WOULD HAVE BEEN IN CONFLICT WITH THE NEED TO AVOID OVER FLYING POPULATED AREA IN AN ACFT OF UNKNOWN MECH CTL SYS STATUS, I.E., LNDG ON REMAINDER OF RWY MIGHT NO LONGER HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE, FORCING CONTINUATION OF FLT, AND NO ASSURANCE WAS AVAIL THAT OTHER FACTORS THAN WIND SHEAR WERE NOT INVOLVED. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO NOSE GEAR DAMAGE: ON FIRST FLT OF THIS ACFT BY ANOTHER PLT, NOSE WHEEL ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN DAMAGED AND SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED. LAST FLT BEFORE RPTED ONE INVOLVED A BOUNCED LNDG BY OWNER BUILDER RECEIVING INSTRUCTION. THE POSSIBILITY OF FATIGUE OR HIDDEN DAMAGE TO THE NOSE LNDG GEAR, NOT APPARENT TO VISUAL INSPECTION, CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

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.