Narrative:

I am the chief pilot of a part 135 non scheduled air taxi operator of single-engine, multi-engine and turbine CE441 passenger and freight operations. Company is based at sff and has a fleet of 25 aircraft. I hold a multi-engine ATP certificate with 5000 plus hours as PIC and I am a check airman. On sep/xx/95 I reported to sff airport to receive a part 135.293 VFR single- engine competency check in a CE182. My check airman/director of operations was an ATP with 8000 hours as PIC. After my oral interview, he met me at the airplane while I was preflting in the rain. I hadn't seen this airplane for several months since it had been based at another airport during the summer for forest service contract work and this was its first day back at sff. During my preflight my impression was that this airplane was showing some wear and tear (ie, the landing gear strut fairings were beat up a bit) but nothing really jumped out at me or registered as being abnormal. The check ride was normal and routine including slow flight at minimum controllable airspeed, stall recovery, steep turns, unusual attitude recoveries from under the hood, followed by a landing and short field takeoff at the mead, wa, airport (70S), before returning to sff. The ride had gone well with no noticeable unusual flight characteristics of the airplane and all maneuvers smooth and well within maneuvering limits and airspeed never exceeding the green arc. Returning to sff and being cleared for the option, X instructed me to finish the ride with a combination short field approach with a soft field landing on runway 3L. It was uneventful and I decided to continue to rollout with a soft field takeoff, followed by right traffic for a full stop landing on runway 3R. On downwind X said 'let's make this a no-flap landing and let's keep it in tight so we need a full slip -- let's turn base now.' I turned right base for runway 3R and realizing we were high I put the aircraft into a full slip turning final. Crossing the threshold a little high and a little fast despite the full slip I advised X that we could expect the possibility of some hydroplaning (due to standing water on the runway) and that we may be going around. We touched down long with a firm but good landing just prior to mid field on a 3049 ft runway -- the tires were indeed hydroplaning. Maintaining directional control on the centerline I tried to achieve some braking by gently pumping the brakes. A few seconds later I advised X that we were getting some intermittent braking action as he could feel. As we approached the go-no-go decision point I had an uneasy feeling about going around -- I stayed on the runway and we rolled out into the overrun as smooth as silk. Our rollout into the overrun of approximately 40 yds on short grass and rain softened ground was smoother than lndgs on the sod next to runway 3R which we often had done on previous training flts. After coming to a stop the tower controller asked us if we were alright and I acknowledged 'affirmative' and requested to taxi to the ramp. While taxiing via the parallel taxiway which parallels runway 3R, X suggested that we try that last approach again. Since the entire flight had been very smooth including the rollout into the overrun neither of us suspected the possibility of any aircraft damage. I requested to the tower to depart runway 3R and remain in right traffic. The tower controller responded, 'I think maybe you should inspect your aircraft first. I can see something hanging from your tail.' I thanked him later. We looked over our shoulders and to our shock and astonishment the right elevator counter balance weight was dangling from sheet metal. Upon closer inspection at the ramp it was hanging by a rivet with no signs of impact, grass stain or scrapes on the tail or in the overrun area. The preliminary inspection by the FAA suspects prior damage to the landing gear and tail from a very hard landing. I have acquired a better understanding of the significance of landing gear fairings during preflight and of the potential stress points relating to elevator counter weights.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO ACFT.

Narrative: I AM THE CHIEF PLT OF A PART 135 NON SCHEDULED AIR TAXI OPERATOR OF SINGLE-ENG, MULTI-ENG AND TURBINE CE441 PAX AND FREIGHT OPS. COMPANY IS BASED AT SFF AND HAS A FLEET OF 25 ACFT. I HOLD A MULTI-ENG ATP CERTIFICATE WITH 5000 PLUS HRS AS PIC AND I AM A CHK AIRMAN. ON SEP/XX/95 I RPTED TO SFF ARPT TO RECEIVE A PART 135.293 VFR SINGLE- ENG COMPETENCY CHK IN A CE182. MY CHK AIRMAN/DIRECTOR OF OPS WAS AN ATP WITH 8000 HRS AS PIC. AFTER MY ORAL INTERVIEW, HE MET ME AT THE AIRPLANE WHILE I WAS PREFLTING IN THE RAIN. I HADN'T SEEN THIS AIRPLANE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS SINCE IT HAD BEEN BASED AT ANOTHER ARPT DURING THE SUMMER FOR FOREST SVC CONTRACT WORK AND THIS WAS ITS FIRST DAY BACK AT SFF. DURING MY PREFLT MY IMPRESSION WAS THAT THIS AIRPLANE WAS SHOWING SOME WEAR AND TEAR (IE, THE LNDG GEAR STRUT FAIRINGS WERE BEAT UP A BIT) BUT NOTHING REALLY JUMPED OUT AT ME OR REGISTERED AS BEING ABNORMAL. THE CHK RIDE WAS NORMAL AND ROUTINE INCLUDING SLOW FLT AT MINIMUM CONTROLLABLE AIRSPD, STALL RECOVERY, STEEP TURNS, UNUSUAL ATTITUDE RECOVERIES FROM UNDER THE HOOD, FOLLOWED BY A LNDG AND SHORT FIELD TKOF AT THE MEAD, WA, ARPT (70S), BEFORE RETURNING TO SFF. THE RIDE HAD GONE WELL WITH NO NOTICEABLE UNUSUAL FLT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AIRPLANE AND ALL MANEUVERS SMOOTH AND WELL WITHIN MANEUVERING LIMITS AND AIRSPD NEVER EXCEEDING THE GREEN ARC. RETURNING TO SFF AND BEING CLRED FOR THE OPTION, X INSTRUCTED ME TO FINISH THE RIDE WITH A COMBINATION SHORT FIELD APCH WITH A SOFT FIELD LNDG ON RWY 3L. IT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO ROLLOUT WITH A SOFT FIELD TKOF, FOLLOWED BY R TFC FOR A FULL STOP LNDG ON RWY 3R. ON DOWNWIND X SAID 'LET'S MAKE THIS A NO-FLAP LNDG AND LET'S KEEP IT IN TIGHT SO WE NEED A FULL SLIP -- LET'S TURN BASE NOW.' I TURNED R BASE FOR RWY 3R AND REALIZING WE WERE HIGH I PUT THE ACFT INTO A FULL SLIP TURNING FINAL. XING THE THRESHOLD A LITTLE HIGH AND A LITTLE FAST DESPITE THE FULL SLIP I ADVISED X THAT WE COULD EXPECT THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME HYDROPLANING (DUE TO STANDING WATER ON THE RWY) AND THAT WE MAY BE GOING AROUND. WE TOUCHED DOWN LONG WITH A FIRM BUT GOOD LNDG JUST PRIOR TO MID FIELD ON A 3049 FT RWY -- THE TIRES WERE INDEED HYDROPLANING. MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CTL ON THE CTRLINE I TRIED TO ACHIEVE SOME BRAKING BY GENTLY PUMPING THE BRAKES. A FEW SECONDS LATER I ADVISED X THAT WE WERE GETTING SOME INTERMITTENT BRAKING ACTION AS HE COULD FEEL. AS WE APCHED THE GO-NO-GO DECISION POINT I HAD AN UNEASY FEELING ABOUT GOING AROUND -- I STAYED ON THE RWY AND WE ROLLED OUT INTO THE OVERRUN AS SMOOTH AS SILK. OUR ROLLOUT INTO THE OVERRUN OF APPROX 40 YDS ON SHORT GRASS AND RAIN SOFTENED GND WAS SMOOTHER THAN LNDGS ON THE SOD NEXT TO RWY 3R WHICH WE OFTEN HAD DONE ON PREVIOUS TRAINING FLTS. AFTER COMING TO A STOP THE TWR CTLR ASKED US IF WE WERE ALRIGHT AND I ACKNOWLEDGED 'AFFIRMATIVE' AND REQUESTED TO TAXI TO THE RAMP. WHILE TAXIING VIA THE PARALLEL TXWY WHICH PARALLELS RWY 3R, X SUGGESTED THAT WE TRY THAT LAST APCH AGAIN. SINCE THE ENTIRE FLT HAD BEEN VERY SMOOTH INCLUDING THE ROLLOUT INTO THE OVERRUN NEITHER OF US SUSPECTED THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY ACFT DAMAGE. I REQUESTED TO THE TWR TO DEPART RWY 3R AND REMAIN IN R TFC. THE TWR CTLR RESPONDED, 'I THINK MAYBE YOU SHOULD INSPECT YOUR ACFT FIRST. I CAN SEE SOMETHING HANGING FROM YOUR TAIL.' I THANKED HIM LATER. WE LOOKED OVER OUR SHOULDERS AND TO OUR SHOCK AND ASTONISHMENT THE R ELEVATOR COUNTER BALANCE WT WAS DANGLING FROM SHEET METAL. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION AT THE RAMP IT WAS HANGING BY A RIVET WITH NO SIGNS OF IMPACT, GRASS STAIN OR SCRAPES ON THE TAIL OR IN THE OVERRUN AREA. THE PRELIMINARY INSPECTION BY THE FAA SUSPECTS PRIOR DAMAGE TO THE LNDG GEAR AND TAIL FROM A VERY HARD LNDG. I HAVE ACQUIRED A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LNDG GEAR FAIRINGS DURING PREFLT AND OF THE POTENTIAL STRESS POINTS RELATING TO ELEVATOR COUNTER WTS.

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.