Narrative:

After a hard landing, I rotated and began a climb out at which time I noticed a diminished ability to pitch the aircraft for vx. I notified the tower that I was having difficulty with the flight controls. I turned back towards the airport at which time my flight instructor, who was in the pattern, maneuvered to fly along my left side. He guided me in a slow turn to line up with runway 13. I made a power adjustment to descend and land. The tower offered to roll the emergency vehicles and the offer was declined. I made a hard landing on the nose subsequently causing a propeller strike and damage to the firewall. I taxied the aircraft to the ramp and shut the aircraft down. Supplemental information from acn 582488: I was instructed by the tower to enter a left downwind for runway 8. The tower informed me that an airplane flown by my student was departing runway 8. I found the traffic as it was rotating and watched as it climbed out at which appeared to be a normal pitch attitude. The tower informed the departing traffic to extend the upwind for spacing. The aircraft failed to reply to the radio call so the tower transmitted a second time. This time, the student pilot replied and notified the tower that he was having 'difficulty in climbing the aircraft.' at this time I was about to turn left base for runway 8. The tower asked me if I had any suggestions. I asked the tower for permission to turn and fly next to the aircraft in trouble, so that I could try to spot what may be the issue. Unable to determine the problem, I instructed my student to slowly turn with me so that he could line up for a landing on runway 13. I flew the left wing of the aircraft all the way down to about 100 ft AGL before I leveled off and observed his landing. The landing was to the right of the centerline of the runway and it appeared to strike the front landing gear of the aircraft very hard. The student was able to stop the aircraft and taxi back to the ramp. I requested a go around and left traffic for runway 13. I landed and taxied back to the ramp. I shut the aircraft down and walked over to check on my student. As I approached the aircraft I noticed that the propeller had the very tips curled back. The student was shaken but ok. The next day, the a&P notified me that the nose gear and firewall had been damaged. After further review of the incident, the student pilot executed poor judgement after the first landing which was also a hard landing. He should have realized the aircraft could have been damaged by the hard landing and ceased the takeoff roll.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT OF C172, OBSERVED BY HIS INSTRUCTOR IN ANOTHER C172, MADE A GAR FOLLOWING A BOUNCED HARD LNDG AND DISCOVERED A LOSS OF 'CTL.' AFTER A SAFE LNDG IT WAS DISCOVERED HE HAD SUFFERED A PROP STRIKE, WHICH CURLED BACK THE PROP TIPS AND REDUCED THRUST AVAILABLE.

Narrative: AFTER A HARD LNDG, I ROTATED AND BEGAN A CLBOUT AT WHICH TIME I NOTICED A DIMINISHED ABILITY TO PITCH THE ACFT FOR VX. I NOTIFIED THE TWR THAT I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH THE FLT CTLS. I TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE ARPT AT WHICH TIME MY FLT INSTRUCTOR, WHO WAS IN THE PATTERN, MANEUVERED TO FLY ALONG MY L SIDE. HE GUIDED ME IN A SLOW TURN TO LINE UP WITH RWY 13. I MADE A PWR ADJUSTMENT TO DSND AND LAND. THE TWR OFFERED TO ROLL THE EMER VEHICLES AND THE OFFER WAS DECLINED. I MADE A HARD LNDG ON THE NOSE SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSING A PROP STRIKE AND DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL. I TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE RAMP AND SHUT THE ACFT DOWN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 582488: I WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8. THE TWR INFORMED ME THAT AN AIRPLANE FLOWN BY MY STUDENT WAS DEPARTING RWY 8. I FOUND THE TFC AS IT WAS ROTATING AND WATCHED AS IT CLBED OUT AT WHICH APPEARED TO BE A NORMAL PITCH ATTITUDE. THE TWR INFORMED THE DEPARTING TFC TO EXTEND THE UPWIND FOR SPACING. THE ACFT FAILED TO REPLY TO THE RADIO CALL SO THE TWR XMITTED A SECOND TIME. THIS TIME, THE STUDENT PLT REPLIED AND NOTIFIED THE TWR THAT HE WAS HAVING 'DIFFICULTY IN CLBING THE ACFT.' AT THIS TIME I WAS ABOUT TO TURN L BASE FOR RWY 8. THE TWR ASKED ME IF I HAD ANY SUGGESTIONS. I ASKED THE TWR FOR PERMISSION TO TURN AND FLY NEXT TO THE ACFT IN TROUBLE, SO THAT I COULD TRY TO SPOT WHAT MAY BE THE ISSUE. UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROB, I INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO SLOWLY TURN WITH ME SO THAT HE COULD LINE UP FOR A LNDG ON RWY 13. I FLEW THE L WING OF THE ACFT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO ABOUT 100 FT AGL BEFORE I LEVELED OFF AND OBSERVED HIS LNDG. THE LNDG WAS TO THE R OF THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY AND IT APPEARED TO STRIKE THE FRONT LNDG GEAR OF THE ACFT VERY HARD. THE STUDENT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE ACFT AND TAXI BACK TO THE RAMP. I REQUESTED A GAR AND L TFC FOR RWY 13. I LANDED AND TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP. I SHUT THE ACFT DOWN AND WALKED OVER TO CHK ON MY STUDENT. AS I APCHED THE ACFT I NOTICED THAT THE PROP HAD THE VERY TIPS CURLED BACK. THE STUDENT WAS SHAKEN BUT OK. THE NEXT DAY, THE A&P NOTIFIED ME THAT THE NOSE GEAR AND FIREWALL HAD BEEN DAMAGED. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW OF THE INCIDENT, THE STUDENT PLT EXECUTED POOR JUDGEMENT AFTER THE FIRST LNDG WHICH WAS ALSO A HARD LNDG. HE SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THE ACFT COULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY THE HARD LNDG AND CEASED THE TKOF ROLL.

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.