Narrative:

After .9 dual in the pattern during passage of weak and front low (wind shift 190/10-320/10) with 6 touch and go lndgs in crosswind conditions, instrument (this reporter) exited airplane for student to conduct first supervised solo in the pattern. Previous lndgs (this and previous 2 flts) exhibited good directional control in gusty and crosswind conditions and consistency. On one dual landing this flight CFI added rudder after T/D when student relaxed foot while lowering downwind wing/wheel. Situation discussed and several subsequent lndgs followed with good control wind steady and stable 70-90 degrees to runway (off lake), 10-12 KTS and smooth. First 2 solo lndgs accomplished west/O incident. On final landing, airplane veered to left side (south) and off runway (24R) into grass. Overheard on radio (by airport operations), 'everything's ok. He's going to start it up and taxi back up onto runway.' I saw plane move (about 6-8 mi away) and then stop. Overheard on radio, 'he's hit the propeller. Now we'll have to tow it.' student reported following incident: first 2 ok. Touched down hard on right (upwind) wheel and bounced over to left wheel. When I recovered, I was headed for grass and could not straighten it out. Shut it down as soon as I left runway. Airport operations came and helped me check plane, which looked ok. Asked whether I could start it and taxi back onto runway and I said, 'ok.' I ran into a hole I didn't see, hit propeller and shut it down. Contributing factors: instrument anxious to have student solo, instrument weighed more heavily past history than one landing on this day when student needed assistance, instrument failed to teach student (prior to solo) 'if it goes off runway, stop and have it towed,' and instrument neglected to inform tower it was first solo (1 other plane in area, actually leaving pattern). Suggestions: instrument attend to items above, and have policy with airport operations that on any solo incidents, the supervising instrument be involved in decisions about hour to proceed. Off runway was bad enough, but no damage done to that point. Fixing that problem resulted in damage.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA STUDENT PLT ON FIRST SOLO WENT OFF RWY. LATER WHEN START BACK UP TO RETURN TO RWY HIT HOLE AND DAMAGED PROPELLER.

Narrative: AFTER .9 DUAL IN THE PATTERN DURING PASSAGE OF WEAK AND FRONT LOW (WIND SHIFT 190/10-320/10) WITH 6 TOUCH AND GO LNDGS IN XWIND CONDITIONS, INSTR (THIS RPTR) EXITED AIRPLANE FOR STUDENT TO CONDUCT FIRST SUPERVISED SOLO IN THE PATTERN. PREVIOUS LNDGS (THIS AND PREVIOUS 2 FLTS) EXHIBITED GOOD DIRECTIONAL CONTROL IN GUSTY AND XWIND CONDITIONS AND CONSISTENCY. ON ONE DUAL LNDG THIS FLT CFI ADDED RUDDER AFTER T/D WHEN STUDENT RELAXED FOOT WHILE LOWERING DOWNWIND WING/WHEEL. SITUATION DISCUSSED AND SEVERAL SUBSEQUENT LNDGS FOLLOWED WITH GOOD CONTROL WIND STEADY AND STABLE 70-90 DEGS TO RWY (OFF LAKE), 10-12 KTS AND SMOOTH. FIRST 2 SOLO LNDGS ACCOMPLISHED W/O INCIDENT. ON FINAL LNDG, AIRPLANE VEERED TO LEFT SIDE (S) AND OFF RWY (24R) INTO GRASS. OVERHEARD ON RADIO (BY ARPT OPS), 'EVERYTHING'S OK. HE'S GOING TO START IT UP AND TAXI BACK UP ONTO RWY.' I SAW PLANE MOVE (ABOUT 6-8 MI AWAY) AND THEN STOP. OVERHEARD ON RADIO, 'HE'S HIT THE PROP. NOW WE'LL HAVE TO TOW IT.' STUDENT RPTED FOLLOWING INCIDENT: FIRST 2 OK. TOUCHED DOWN HARD ON RIGHT (UPWIND) WHEEL AND BOUNCED OVER TO LEFT WHEEL. WHEN I RECOVERED, I WAS HEADED FOR GRASS AND COULD NOT STRAIGHTEN IT OUT. SHUT IT DOWN AS SOON AS I LEFT RWY. ARPT OPS CAME AND HELPED ME CHK PLANE, WHICH LOOKED OK. ASKED WHETHER I COULD START IT AND TAXI BACK ONTO RWY AND I SAID, 'OK.' I RAN INTO A HOLE I DIDN'T SEE, HIT PROP AND SHUT IT DOWN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: INSTR ANXIOUS TO HAVE STUDENT SOLO, INSTR WEIGHED MORE HEAVILY PAST HISTORY THAN ONE LNDG ON THIS DAY WHEN STUDENT NEEDED ASSISTANCE, INSTR FAILED TO TEACH STUDENT (PRIOR TO SOLO) 'IF IT GOES OFF RWY, STOP AND HAVE IT TOWED,' AND INSTR NEGLECTED TO INFORM TWR IT WAS FIRST SOLO (1 OTHER PLANE IN AREA, ACTUALLY LEAVING PATTERN). SUGGESTIONS: INSTR ATTEND TO ITEMS ABOVE, AND HAVE POLICY WITH ARPT OPS THAT ON ANY SOLO INCIDENTS, THE SUPERVISING INSTR BE INVOLVED IN DECISIONS ABOUT HOUR TO PROCEED. OFF RWY WAS BAD ENOUGH, BUT NO DAMAGE DONE TO THAT POINT. FIXING THAT PROB RESULTED IN DAMAGE.

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