Low time private pilot porpoises during landing causing propeller damage.

Attributes
ACN	443302
Time
Date	199907
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : wst.airport
State Reference	RI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cheetah, Tiger, Traveler
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 26 flight time total : 153 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	443302
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Propeller strike occurred after 2 or 3 oscillations up and down on landing. Engine did not stop, but last 4 inches or so of the propeller blades were folded over. I believe that I touched down and then became airborne again after a short distance from a small wind gust. Winds were about 10 KTS at the time, pretty much straight down the runway. At the time, I did not realize I had become airborne after the initial touchdown so when I began to lower the nose and apply the brakes I was actually 4-5 ft above the runway. This misjudgement of height led to the oscillation (porpoising) that ended in propeller blades chewing asphalt. With the nose down I flew into the runway, bounced on the nose gear, popped up again and the cycle repeated in a very rapid fashion. There were 4 passenger onboard, so the elevator was trimmed fairly nose low to counteract the weight in back. I believe this nose low trim helped induce the oscillation. After the first bounce I went to full power for a go around, but I did not do it fast enough or maybe I did not give enough back pressure to fight the nose down trim so the plane bounced even harder. It was this second strike that banged the propeller (I think). After the second bounce I reduced power to idle, yanked back on the yoke and the plane settled on the runway. We taxied back under power, I shut down and then discovered the banged up propeller. No one was hurt in the incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME PVT PLT PORPOISES DURING LNDG CAUSING PROP DAMAGE.

Narrative: PROP STRIKE OCCURRED AFTER 2 OR 3 OSCILLATIONS UP AND DOWN ON LNDG. ENG DID NOT STOP, BUT LAST 4 INCHES OR SO OF THE PROP BLADES WERE FOLDED OVER. I BELIEVE THAT I TOUCHED DOWN AND THEN BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN AFTER A SHORT DISTANCE FROM A SMALL WIND GUST. WINDS WERE ABOUT 10 KTS AT THE TIME, PRETTY MUCH STRAIGHT DOWN THE RWY. AT THE TIME, I DID NOT REALIZE I HAD BECOME AIRBORNE AFTER THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN SO WHEN I BEGAN TO LOWER THE NOSE AND APPLY THE BRAKES I WAS ACTUALLY 4-5 FT ABOVE THE RWY. THIS MISJUDGEMENT OF HEIGHT LED TO THE OSCILLATION (PORPOISING) THAT ENDED IN PROP BLADES CHEWING ASPHALT. WITH THE NOSE DOWN I FLEW INTO THE RWY, BOUNCED ON THE NOSE GEAR, POPPED UP AGAIN AND THE CYCLE REPEATED IN A VERY RAPID FASHION. THERE WERE 4 PAX ONBOARD, SO THE ELEVATOR WAS TRIMMED FAIRLY NOSE LOW TO COUNTERACT THE WT IN BACK. I BELIEVE THIS NOSE LOW TRIM HELPED INDUCE THE OSCILLATION. AFTER THE FIRST BOUNCE I WENT TO FULL PWR FOR A GAR, BUT I DID NOT DO IT FAST ENOUGH OR MAYBE I DID NOT GIVE ENOUGH BACK PRESSURE TO FIGHT THE NOSE DOWN TRIM SO THE PLANE BOUNCED EVEN HARDER. IT WAS THIS SECOND STRIKE THAT BANGED THE PROP (I THINK). AFTER THE SECOND BOUNCE I REDUCED PWR TO IDLE, YANKED BACK ON THE YOKE AND THE PLANE SETTLED ON THE RWY. WE TAXIED BACK UNDER PWR, I SHUT DOWN AND THEN DISCOVERED THE BANGED UP PROP. NO ONE WAS HURT IN THE INCIDENT.

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.