Narrative:

During a visual approach to runway 31R at dal, the pilot flying the F33 bonanza crossed the threshold at just less than the 70 KT final approach speed, at about 68 KTS. The aircraft continued to sink normally to the runway but also continued to slow down. At about 6 ft off the ground, the pilot began to flare to slow the descent. Because we were already slow there was no margin of error for the flare. The pilot made the unfortunate decision to pull back on the control wheel rather than adding power and reducing angle of attack. This caused us to stall 4 ft off the ground. The left wing stalled first and as it fell, the left wingtip hit the runway just as the left main gear touched down. In the subsequent 48 hours, 2 mechanics looked at the wing, and while neither of them pronounced the damage as substantial (by NTSB 830.5), they did say that the aileron, the wingtip cover, and the rear wing spar (not the main spar) would have to be repaired (total cost estimated $12000). The cause of the problem was that we stalled 4 ft off the ground rather than achieving the full stall landing we are looking for in GA. While this is nothing out of the ordinary in training airplanes, the recovery was more difficult because of the single control wheel of the earlier model bonanzas. The primary concern I have as the safety pilot is the inability to control both pitch and power quickly in an airplane that has a throw over control yoke like this F33 does. Just before the stall I told the pilot to add power, but he hesitated. I added power but was not fast enough to recover. In aircraft with dual controls it would have been easier to assist the pilot with his pitch angle with my right hand and have my left hand ready to apply power. The unconventional nature of the F33 controls made that difficult.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE-F33 BONANZA ACFT WAS STALLED 4 FT OFF THE RWY, L WING DROPPED AND HIT RWY.

Narrative: DURING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 31R AT DAL, THE PLT FLYING THE F33 BONANZA CROSSED THE THRESHOLD AT JUST LESS THAN THE 70 KT FINAL APCH SPD, AT ABOUT 68 KTS. THE ACFT CONTINUED TO SINK NORMALLY TO THE RWY BUT ALSO CONTINUED TO SLOW DOWN. AT ABOUT 6 FT OFF THE GND, THE PLT BEGAN TO FLARE TO SLOW THE DSCNT. BECAUSE WE WERE ALREADY SLOW THERE WAS NO MARGIN OF ERROR FOR THE FLARE. THE PLT MADE THE UNFORTUNATE DECISION TO PULL BACK ON THE CTL WHEEL RATHER THAN ADDING PWR AND REDUCING ANGLE OF ATTACK. THIS CAUSED US TO STALL 4 FT OFF THE GND. THE L WING STALLED FIRST AND AS IT FELL, THE L WINGTIP HIT THE RWY JUST AS THE L MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN. IN THE SUBSEQUENT 48 HRS, 2 MECHS LOOKED AT THE WING, AND WHILE NEITHER OF THEM PRONOUNCED THE DAMAGE AS SUBSTANTIAL (BY NTSB 830.5), THEY DID SAY THAT THE AILERON, THE WINGTIP COVER, AND THE REAR WING SPAR (NOT THE MAIN SPAR) WOULD HAVE TO BE REPAIRED (TOTAL COST ESTIMATED $12000). THE CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS THAT WE STALLED 4 FT OFF THE GND RATHER THAN ACHIEVING THE FULL STALL LNDG WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN GA. WHILE THIS IS NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY IN TRAINING AIRPLANES, THE RECOVERY WAS MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THE SINGLE CTL WHEEL OF THE EARLIER MODEL BONANZAS. THE PRIMARY CONCERN I HAVE AS THE SAFETY PLT IS THE INABILITY TO CTL BOTH PITCH AND PWR QUICKLY IN AN AIRPLANE THAT HAS A THROW OVER CTL YOKE LIKE THIS F33 DOES. JUST BEFORE THE STALL I TOLD THE PLT TO ADD PWR, BUT HE HESITATED. I ADDED PWR BUT WAS NOT FAST ENOUGH TO RECOVER. IN ACFT WITH DUAL CTLS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER TO ASSIST THE PLT WITH HIS PITCH ANGLE WITH MY R HAND AND HAVE MY L HAND READY TO APPLY PWR. THE UNCONVENTIONAL NATURE OF THE F33 CTLS MADE THAT DIFFICULT.

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.