Narrative:

The PF borrowed a 1964 C172. He asked me to fly with him because he was not current. He is an acquaintance of mine so I agreed to go with him gratis as a favor to him. Had the flight gone well; I may have signed him off for a review after completing the ground portion. After 2 or 3 lndgs; the wind switched from a quartering right headwind to a 90 degree right crosswind at about 10-12 KTS. In retrospect; it may have been a gusty and/or windshear situation. The last landing approach was progressing well; maintaining airspeed of approximately 70 mph with crosswind technique. At approximately 20 ft above the runway; the pilot suddenly cut power and nosed the plane toward the runway. The plane hit hard on 3 wheels. The subsequent bounce sent the plane; wings level; above the runway about 10 ft. The pilot added partial power instead of full power. It was not sufficient to regain full control and the plane was affected by the crosswind; taking it off to the left side of the runway. The left horizontal stabilizer contacted a runway light making a dent in the leading edge. While this was happening; I was able to knock the pilot's hand from the throttle and gain control of the plane and guide it back onto the runway. Examination revealed the damage to the horizontal stabilizer. No other damage was obvious at that time. Since that time; the local mechanic determined that the firewall had a crease in it and would like to repair or replace it. In retrospect; a more thorough examination of the pilot's experience; attitude; psychological state of mind and perhaps requesting verbal descriptions of flight maneuvers may have revealed information about how he may have been expected to perform. In this regard; a checklist of this nature may be helpful in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT LOSES CTL OF C172 DURING XWIND LNDG. INSTRUCTOR PLT RECOVERS CTL OF ACFT DURING THE SUBSEQUENT BOUNCE. MINOR ACFT DAMAGE RESULTS.

Narrative: THE PF BORROWED A 1964 C172. HE ASKED ME TO FLY WITH HIM BECAUSE HE WAS NOT CURRENT. HE IS AN ACQUAINTANCE OF MINE SO I AGREED TO GO WITH HIM GRATIS AS A FAVOR TO HIM. HAD THE FLT GONE WELL; I MAY HAVE SIGNED HIM OFF FOR A REVIEW AFTER COMPLETING THE GND PORTION. AFTER 2 OR 3 LNDGS; THE WIND SWITCHED FROM A QUARTERING R HEADWIND TO A 90 DEG R XWIND AT ABOUT 10-12 KTS. IN RETROSPECT; IT MAY HAVE BEEN A GUSTY AND/OR WINDSHEAR SITUATION. THE LAST LNDG APCH WAS PROGRESSING WELL; MAINTAINING AIRSPD OF APPROX 70 MPH WITH XWIND TECHNIQUE. AT APPROX 20 FT ABOVE THE RWY; THE PLT SUDDENLY CUT PWR AND NOSED THE PLANE TOWARD THE RWY. THE PLANE HIT HARD ON 3 WHEELS. THE SUBSEQUENT BOUNCE SENT THE PLANE; WINGS LEVEL; ABOVE THE RWY ABOUT 10 FT. THE PLT ADDED PARTIAL PWR INSTEAD OF FULL PWR. IT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO REGAIN FULL CTL AND THE PLANE WAS AFFECTED BY THE XWIND; TAKING IT OFF TO THE L SIDE OF THE RWY. THE L HORIZ STABILIZER CONTACTED A RWY LIGHT MAKING A DENT IN THE LEADING EDGE. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING; I WAS ABLE TO KNOCK THE PLT'S HAND FROM THE THROTTLE AND GAIN CTL OF THE PLANE AND GUIDE IT BACK ONTO THE RWY. EXAMINATION REVEALED THE DAMAGE TO THE HORIZ STABILIZER. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS OBVIOUS AT THAT TIME. SINCE THAT TIME; THE LCL MECH DETERMINED THAT THE FIREWALL HAD A CREASE IN IT AND WOULD LIKE TO REPAIR OR REPLACE IT. IN RETROSPECT; A MORE THOROUGH EXAM OF THE PLT'S EXPERIENCE; ATTITUDE; PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE OF MIND AND PERHAPS REQUESTING VERBAL DESCRIPTIONS OF FLT MANEUVERS MAY HAVE REVEALED INFO ABOUT HOW HE MAY HAVE BEEN EXPECTED TO PERFORM. IN THIS REGARD; A CHKLIST OF THIS NATURE MAY BE HELPFUL IN THE FUTURE.

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.