Narrative:

While on a training flight in the owner's light sport experimental aircraft; the owner/student froze on the flight controls in the roundout/flare phase of the short field landing without flaring the aircraft causing the aircraft to make a hard landing. Due to a missing weld on the left gear leg socket; the gear leg folded up causing a ground loop. The aircraft came to rest on the trailing edge left wing spar causing the spar to be damaged. There were no injuries or property damage aside from the damage to the aircraft. I don't believe the aircraft would have sustained any damage if the airframe was welded properly. I was unable to get control of the aircraft from the owner/student in time to correct the student error. The student had successfully made 5 similar short field lndgs flawlessly just 10 mins prior to a different airport. The hard landing occurred at a private turf airport with the airport owner's permission. I own the same make/model aircraft and have hundreds of hours of experience in type without a single incident. To eliminate a future recurrence of this scenario; I should take immediate and more forceful control of the aircraft; using whatever means possible; including but not limited to striking the student; forcing release of the flight controls; shouting over the intercom; and/or forcing the throttle forward to regain some energy for the flare; assuming I could have regained control of the stick. This student is considerably stronger than I am; making it difficult/impossible to overpower him. I have not had an incident of any type until this occurrence. I did not anticipate this student reaction as there had been no prior landing errors with this student. The student already had attained solo privileges endorsed by another instructor with many hours of solo practice in several prior owned aircraft. Contributing factors were windshear due to mildly gusty winds; unfamiliar airport; short runway (less than 2000 ft); trees on either side of the approach corridor possibly distracting the student pilot; and the student's lack of experience.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PILOT WITH INSTRUCTOR PRACTICING SHORT FIELD LANDINGS IN LIGHT SPORT ACFT; MAKE HARD LANDING WHEN STUDENT FREEZES ON CONTROLS AND FAILS TO FLARE.

Narrative: WHILE ON A TRAINING FLT IN THE OWNER'S LIGHT SPORT EXPERIMENTAL ACFT; THE OWNER/STUDENT FROZE ON THE FLT CTLS IN THE ROUNDOUT/FLARE PHASE OF THE SHORT FIELD LNDG WITHOUT FLARING THE ACFT CAUSING THE ACFT TO MAKE A HARD LNDG. DUE TO A MISSING WELD ON THE L GEAR LEG SOCKET; THE GEAR LEG FOLDED UP CAUSING A GND LOOP. THE ACFT CAME TO REST ON THE TRAILING EDGE L WING SPAR CAUSING THE SPAR TO BE DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE ASIDE FROM THE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. I DON'T BELIEVE THE ACFT WOULD HAVE SUSTAINED ANY DAMAGE IF THE AIRFRAME WAS WELDED PROPERLY. I WAS UNABLE TO GET CTL OF THE ACFT FROM THE OWNER/STUDENT IN TIME TO CORRECT THE STUDENT ERROR. THE STUDENT HAD SUCCESSFULLY MADE 5 SIMILAR SHORT FIELD LNDGS FLAWLESSLY JUST 10 MINS PRIOR TO A DIFFERENT ARPT. THE HARD LNDG OCCURRED AT A PVT TURF ARPT WITH THE ARPT OWNER'S PERMISSION. I OWN THE SAME MAKE/MODEL ACFT AND HAVE HUNDREDS OF HRS OF EXPERIENCE IN TYPE WITHOUT A SINGLE INCIDENT. TO ELIMINATE A FUTURE RECURRENCE OF THIS SCENARIO; I SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE AND MORE FORCEFUL CTL OF THE ACFT; USING WHATEVER MEANS POSSIBLE; INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO STRIKING THE STUDENT; FORCING RELEASE OF THE FLT CTLS; SHOUTING OVER THE INTERCOM; AND/OR FORCING THE THROTTLE FORWARD TO REGAIN SOME ENERGY FOR THE FLARE; ASSUMING I COULD HAVE REGAINED CTL OF THE STICK. THIS STUDENT IS CONSIDERABLY STRONGER THAN I AM; MAKING IT DIFFICULT/IMPOSSIBLE TO OVERPOWER HIM. I HAVE NOT HAD AN INCIDENT OF ANY TYPE UNTIL THIS OCCURRENCE. I DID NOT ANTICIPATE THIS STUDENT REACTION AS THERE HAD BEEN NO PRIOR LNDG ERRORS WITH THIS STUDENT. THE STUDENT ALREADY HAD ATTAINED SOLO PRIVILEGES ENDORSED BY ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR WITH MANY HRS OF SOLO PRACTICE IN SEVERAL PRIOR OWNED ACFT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE WINDSHEAR DUE TO MILDLY GUSTY WINDS; UNFAMILIAR ARPT; SHORT RWY (LESS THAN 2000 FT); TREES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE APCH CORRIDOR POSSIBLY DISTRACTING THE STUDENT PLT; AND THE STUDENT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.