Narrative:

I am the owner of the airplane. The buyer; a private pilot; wanted to fly the airplane to a mechanic for pre-buy inspection. I allowed him to fly as PIC if I flew with him to assist. He had less than 20 hours time in type and had not flown in the past 30 days. On initial departure from the airport; the pilot became disoriented and began a turn to the west; although the tower had cleared him for an east turnout and our destination was east. I corrected him and he turned east crosswind and left the area. The destination airport was a short; narrow field. The pilot intended to cross over the airport at pattern altitude; but I asked him to stay at least 500 ft above pattern until we transitioned across the field. The pilot then got disoriented; called downwind for the south runway on the CTAF; but entered downwind for the north runway. I asked which runway he intended to land on; and he realized his mistake. Conditions were no winds and there were no other airplanes in the pattern or approaching the airport; so he attempted a landing on the north runway. His airspeed was 5 KTS too fast and he was too high; so he initiated a go around and maneuvered for a downwind to the south runway. I checked ATIS for an airport 10 mi to the east; and conditions were altimeter 30.14 and winds 150 degrees at 5 KTS. On final approach; the pilot's airspeed fluctuated by as much as 15 KTS and he came within 5 KTS of stall. As he descended towards the runway; he was determined he would land short and started to pull up on the yoke. I told him to add power; and he did. He landed safely on the numbers at full stall; then ballooned. He lost control of the airplane and drifted to the east side of the runway; where there is an open grass area the length of the runway and about 500 ft wide; with shrubs lining the far side. I told him 'go around!' but he did not. I added full power and grabbed the controls. He grabbed the controls and he was stronger than I was; and he turned the ignition switch off. The engine stopped and the airplane settled back down on the runway and slowed to a stop in the shrubs. There was no substantial damage and nobody was hurt. What contributed to the incident: 1) after his initial mistakes; I should have taken the controls and landed at the destination; but misjudged his ability to handle the airplane. After his unstable approach; I again should have taken the controls; done a go around; and landed. 2) the pilot was current; but not proficient. He should not have attempted a landing in an unfamiliar airplane at an unfamiliar field. He expressed some discomfort with the short/narrow field. I was not uncomfortable with the field and had landed there 5-6 times in the past 90 days. 3) we should have discussed positive exchange of controls and how we would handle possible outcomes before starting the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PERSPECTIVE GRUMMAN AA5 PURCHASER WAS ALLOWED BY THE ACFT OWNER TO FLY; AND THAT PLT LANDED OFF THE PAVED RWY AT DEST.

Narrative: I AM THE OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE. THE BUYER; A PVT PLT; WANTED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE TO A MECH FOR PRE-BUY INSPECTION. I ALLOWED HIM TO FLY AS PIC IF I FLEW WITH HIM TO ASSIST. HE HAD LESS THAN 20 HRS TIME IN TYPE AND HAD NOT FLOWN IN THE PAST 30 DAYS. ON INITIAL DEP FROM THE ARPT; THE PLT BECAME DISORIENTED AND BEGAN A TURN TO THE W; ALTHOUGH THE TWR HAD CLRED HIM FOR AN E TURNOUT AND OUR DEST WAS E. I CORRECTED HIM AND HE TURNED E XWIND AND LEFT THE AREA. THE DEST ARPT WAS A SHORT; NARROW FIELD. THE PLT INTENDED TO CROSS OVER THE ARPT AT PATTERN ALT; BUT I ASKED HIM TO STAY AT LEAST 500 FT ABOVE PATTERN UNTIL WE TRANSITIONED ACROSS THE FIELD. THE PLT THEN GOT DISORIENTED; CALLED DOWNWIND FOR THE S RWY ON THE CTAF; BUT ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR THE N RWY. I ASKED WHICH RWY HE INTENDED TO LAND ON; AND HE REALIZED HIS MISTAKE. CONDITIONS WERE NO WINDS AND THERE WERE NO OTHER AIRPLANES IN THE PATTERN OR APCHING THE ARPT; SO HE ATTEMPTED A LNDG ON THE N RWY. HIS AIRSPD WAS 5 KTS TOO FAST AND HE WAS TOO HIGH; SO HE INITIATED A GAR AND MANEUVERED FOR A DOWNWIND TO THE S RWY. I CHKED ATIS FOR AN ARPT 10 MI TO THE E; AND CONDITIONS WERE ALTIMETER 30.14 AND WINDS 150 DEGS AT 5 KTS. ON FINAL APCH; THE PLT'S AIRSPD FLUCTUATED BY AS MUCH AS 15 KTS AND HE CAME WITHIN 5 KTS OF STALL. AS HE DSNDED TOWARDS THE RWY; HE WAS DETERMINED HE WOULD LAND SHORT AND STARTED TO PULL UP ON THE YOKE. I TOLD HIM TO ADD PWR; AND HE DID. HE LANDED SAFELY ON THE NUMBERS AT FULL STALL; THEN BALLOONED. HE LOST CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AND DRIFTED TO THE E SIDE OF THE RWY; WHERE THERE IS AN OPEN GRASS AREA THE LENGTH OF THE RWY AND ABOUT 500 FT WIDE; WITH SHRUBS LINING THE FAR SIDE. I TOLD HIM 'GO AROUND!' BUT HE DID NOT. I ADDED FULL PWR AND GRABBED THE CTLS. HE GRABBED THE CTLS AND HE WAS STRONGER THAN I WAS; AND HE TURNED THE IGNITION SWITCH OFF. THE ENG STOPPED AND THE AIRPLANE SETTLED BACK DOWN ON THE RWY AND SLOWED TO A STOP IN THE SHRUBS. THERE WAS NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND NOBODY WAS HURT. WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT: 1) AFTER HIS INITIAL MISTAKES; I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE CTLS AND LANDED AT THE DEST; BUT MISJUDGED HIS ABILITY TO HANDLE THE AIRPLANE. AFTER HIS UNSTABLE APCH; I AGAIN SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE CTLS; DONE A GAR; AND LANDED. 2) THE PLT WAS CURRENT; BUT NOT PROFICIENT. HE SHOULD NOT HAVE ATTEMPTED A LNDG IN AN UNFAMILIAR AIRPLANE AT AN UNFAMILIAR FIELD. HE EXPRESSED SOME DISCOMFORT WITH THE SHORT/NARROW FIELD. I WAS NOT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE FIELD AND HAD LANDED THERE 5-6 TIMES IN THE PAST 90 DAYS. 3) WE SHOULD HAVE DISCUSSED POSITIVE EXCHANGE OF CTLS AND HOW WE WOULD HANDLE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES BEFORE STARTING THE FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.