Narrative:

On approach to runway 03R for short field landing practice, my student and I were on a stabilized approach. The student, already a private pilot, was in training for private pilot standardization at my employer's flight school. We were on approach, stabilized at 61 KIAS. The conditions were day/VFR unrestricted ceilings and visibilities. Gusty winds were prevalent and prescott tower had changed runways due to the winds multiple times throughout the morning. During our round out for the short field landing, we encountered a left quartering gust of wind, which in turn caused our landing to become unstabilized and the aircraft ballooned in ground effect to aprox 20 to 25 ft. Rather than calling a go around due to the unstabilized condition, my student pitched over and attempted to save the landing. When the wings were unloaded in ground effect an excessive sink rate ensued. I took the controls, applied full power and aggressively raised the nose to prevent dangerous contact with the runway. We struck the runway tail first causing minor damage to the tail section of the empennage. I assumed control for the taxi into the ramp. I believe my student's poor initial private pilot training contributed to his failure to initiate a go around. My instinct as an instructor was to allow the student to continue past the balloon so he could initiate the go around on his own. I had no reason to believe that the student would apply fwd pressure to attempt to save the landing. I could have taken the controls immediately at the onset of the wind gust, however I feel I made the correct decision in allowing the student to make a mistake and learn from it.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 CFI'S REPORT ON A TAIL STRIKE DURING AN ATTEMPTED RECOVERY FROM A BALLOONED FLARE AND ATTEMPTED LNDG AT PRC, AZ.

Narrative: ON APCH TO RWY 03R FOR SHORT FIELD LANDING PRACTICE, MY STUDENT AND I WERE ON A STABILIZED APCH. THE STUDENT, ALREADY A PVT PLT, WAS IN TRAINING FOR PVT PLT STANDARDIZATION AT MY EMPLOYER'S FLT SCHOOL. WE WERE ON APCH, STABILIZED AT 61 KIAS. THE CONDITIONS WERE DAY/VFR UNRESTRICTED CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES. GUSTY WINDS WERE PREVALENT AND PRESCOTT TWR HAD CHANGED RWYS DUE TO THE WINDS MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE MORNING. DURING OUR ROUND OUT FOR THE SHORT FIELD LANDING, WE ENCOUNTERED A LEFT QUARTERING GUST OF WIND, WHICH IN TURN CAUSED OUR LANDING TO BECOME UNSTABILIZED AND THE ACFT BALLOONED IN GND EFFECT TO APROX 20 TO 25 FT. RATHER THAN CALLING A GAR DUE TO THE UNSTABILIZED CONDITION, MY STUDENT PITCHED OVER AND ATTEMPTED TO SAVE THE LANDING. WHEN THE WINGS WERE UNLOADED IN GND EFFECT AN EXCESSIVE SINK RATE ENSUED. I TOOK THE CTLS, APPLIED FULL PWR AND AGGRESSIVELY RAISED THE NOSE TO PREVENT DANGEROUS CONTACT WITH THE RWY. WE STRUCK THE RWY TAIL FIRST CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE TAIL SECTION OF THE EMPENNAGE. I ASSUMED CTL FOR THE TAXI INTO THE RAMP. I BELIEVE MY STUDENT'S POOR INITIAL PVT PLT TRAINING CONTRIBUTED TO HIS FAILURE TO INITIATE A GAR. MY INSTINCT AS AN INSTRUCTOR WAS TO ALLOW THE STUDENT TO CONTINUE PAST THE BALLOON SO HE COULD INITIATE THE GAR ON HIS OWN. I HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE STUDENT WOULD APPLY FWD PRESSURE TO ATTEMPT TO SAVE THE LANDING. I COULD HAVE TAKEN THE CTLS IMMEDIATELY AT THE ONSET OF THE WIND GUST, HOWEVER I FEEL I MADE THE CORRECT DECISION IN ALLOWING THE STUDENT TO MAKE A MISTAKE AND LEARN FROM IT.

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.