CFI candidate practicing from right seat in crosswind conditions, requests deployment of speed brake...

Attributes
ACN	362657
Time
Date	199703
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : n88
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 J (201)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 720 flight time type : 135
ASRS Report	362657
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 1000
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I am a CFI candidate. I was practicing flying the mooney from the right seat. Another pilot was in left seat. This pilot had about 3000 hours total time with about 1000 hours time in type. A test implementation of N88 ASOS (118.875) advised winds were 300 degrees at 12 KTS gusting to 20 KTS (N88 runways are runway 5 and runway 23). About 5 mins prior to landing, N88 unicom indicated runway 23 was the active runway. Just before I flared, I asked the left seat pilot to deploy speed brakes (no control for speed brakes in right seat). I was probably above the proper flare attitude, because the speed brakes caused the tail to sink and nose to raise, ballooning us. I applied power to avoid a hard landing. At this point a strong gust caught us while we were ballooned and blew us off the runway (left of the centerline). We settled the plane onto the grass and continued our landing roll back onto the runway. There was a lot of mud on the airplane's underside since it had rained the day before and earlier in the day. There was no injury (thank god) to the crew and no damage, except for a small dent in the trailing edge of the left flap, where it struck a runway light. No damage to gear and no propeller strike. This scared the living daylights out of us. I have a new respect for xwinds. Since I want to be a CFI, I have to get past this and focus on lessons learned. I will never again ask someone to deploy an aircraft control surface. I will better judge my landing flare in xwinds. I will aim upwind of the centerline and hold the wind correction. If I feel like I am in excess of the demonstrated crosswind component, I will go around and consider landing at another airport. I will also get some additional dual time from my CFI. If I am going to be a CFI myself, I will have to master crosswind lndgs from the right seat -- it'll be on me to pull it out when my students have problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CFI CANDIDATE PRACTICING FROM R SEAT IN XWIND CONDITIONS, REQUESTS DEPLOYMENT OF SPD BRAKES AT FLARE THEN HAS LOSS OF ACFT CTL AND EXCURSION FROM RWY INTO GRASS AND MUD.

Narrative: I AM A CFI CANDIDATE. I WAS PRACTICING FLYING THE MOONEY FROM THE R SEAT. ANOTHER PLT WAS IN L SEAT. THIS PLT HAD ABOUT 3000 HRS TOTAL TIME WITH ABOUT 1000 HRS TIME IN TYPE. A TEST IMPLEMENTATION OF N88 ASOS (118.875) ADVISED WINDS WERE 300 DEGS AT 12 KTS GUSTING TO 20 KTS (N88 RWYS ARE RWY 5 AND RWY 23). ABOUT 5 MINS PRIOR TO LNDG, N88 UNICOM INDICATED RWY 23 WAS THE ACTIVE RWY. JUST BEFORE I FLARED, I ASKED THE L SEAT PLT TO DEPLOY SPD BRAKES (NO CTL FOR SPD BRAKES IN R SEAT). I WAS PROBABLY ABOVE THE PROPER FLARE ATTITUDE, BECAUSE THE SPD BRAKES CAUSED THE TAIL TO SINK AND NOSE TO RAISE, BALLOONING US. I APPLIED PWR TO AVOID A HARD LNDG. AT THIS POINT A STRONG GUST CAUGHT US WHILE WE WERE BALLOONED AND BLEW US OFF THE RWY (L OF THE CTRLINE). WE SETTLED THE PLANE ONTO THE GRASS AND CONTINUED OUR LNDG ROLL BACK ONTO THE RWY. THERE WAS A LOT OF MUD ON THE AIRPLANE'S UNDERSIDE SINCE IT HAD RAINED THE DAY BEFORE AND EARLIER IN THE DAY. THERE WAS NO INJURY (THANK GOD) TO THE CREW AND NO DAMAGE, EXCEPT FOR A SMALL DENT IN THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE L FLAP, WHERE IT STRUCK A RWY LIGHT. NO DAMAGE TO GEAR AND NO PROP STRIKE. THIS SCARED THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF US. I HAVE A NEW RESPECT FOR XWINDS. SINCE I WANT TO BE A CFI, I HAVE TO GET PAST THIS AND FOCUS ON LESSONS LEARNED. I WILL NEVER AGAIN ASK SOMEONE TO DEPLOY AN ACFT CTL SURFACE. I WILL BETTER JUDGE MY LNDG FLARE IN XWINDS. I WILL AIM UPWIND OF THE CTRLINE AND HOLD THE WIND CORRECTION. IF I FEEL LIKE I AM IN EXCESS OF THE DEMONSTRATED XWIND COMPONENT, I WILL GO AROUND AND CONSIDER LNDG AT ANOTHER ARPT. I WILL ALSO GET SOME ADDITIONAL DUAL TIME FROM MY CFI. IF I AM GOING TO BE A CFI MYSELF, I WILL HAVE TO MASTER XWIND LNDGS FROM THE R SEAT -- IT'LL BE ON ME TO PULL IT OUT WHEN MY STUDENTS HAVE PROBS.

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.

CFI candidate practicing from right seat in crosswind conditions, requests deployment of speed brakes at flare then has loss of aircraft control and excursion from runway into grass and mud.