Narrative:

I was practicing lndgs in a PA18-135, with an instructor (who is also the owner of the aircraft). We were landing on runway 3, with a strong, almost direct, left crosswind. I had completed 3, 3-POINT lndgs, all touch and goes. The 4TH was to be a stop and go wheel landing. The landing was rough, but not too bad. The aircraft had slowed, and the tail had come down. At that point, either there was a gust of wind, or I failed to allow for the decreased control effectiveness (probably a little of both) and the tail was pushed to the right pointing the aircraft at the left side of the runway. My instructor and I both worked to get the aircraft lined up with the runway again. We overcorrected, and ended up with the tail pointing into the wind. The wind got under the tail, and pushed it up, forcing the nose down to the runway, where the propeller struck. We both exited the aircraft without injury. In my opinion, the primary cause of this incident was my failure to allow for the decreased control effectiveness as the aircraft slowed down. Part of the reason for that is that, up to that point, none of the lndgs had been stop and goes, and I had not experienced the decreasing control effectiveness. Also, I'm sure my low time in the tailwheel aircraft played a part. I had read that, with tailwheel aircraft, you need to keep 'flying the airplane' until it comes to a complete stop. While I had read that, and thought I believed it, this incident has driven that fact home. If I had not started to relax as the aircraft slowed down, I might have been able to avoid this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRACTICING LNDGS IN A TAILWHEEL ACFT WITH AN INSTRUCTOR ONBOARD ENDS WITH A RWY EXCURSION ATTRIBUTED TO XWIND.

Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING LNDGS IN A PA18-135, WITH AN INSTRUCTOR (WHO IS ALSO THE OWNER OF THE ACFT). WE WERE LNDG ON RWY 3, WITH A STRONG, ALMOST DIRECT, L XWIND. I HAD COMPLETED 3, 3-POINT LNDGS, ALL TOUCH AND GOES. THE 4TH WAS TO BE A STOP AND GO WHEEL LNDG. THE LNDG WAS ROUGH, BUT NOT TOO BAD. THE ACFT HAD SLOWED, AND THE TAIL HAD COME DOWN. AT THAT POINT, EITHER THERE WAS A GUST OF WIND, OR I FAILED TO ALLOW FOR THE DECREASED CTL EFFECTIVENESS (PROBABLY A LITTLE OF BOTH) AND THE TAIL WAS PUSHED TO THE R POINTING THE ACFT AT THE L SIDE OF THE RWY. MY INSTRUCTOR AND I BOTH WORKED TO GET THE ACFT LINED UP WITH THE RWY AGAIN. WE OVERCORRECTED, AND ENDED UP WITH THE TAIL POINTING INTO THE WIND. THE WIND GOT UNDER THE TAIL, AND PUSHED IT UP, FORCING THE NOSE DOWN TO THE RWY, WHERE THE PROP STRUCK. WE BOTH EXITED THE ACFT WITHOUT INJURY. IN MY OPINION, THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS MY FAILURE TO ALLOW FOR THE DECREASED CTL EFFECTIVENESS AS THE ACFT SLOWED DOWN. PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT, UP TO THAT POINT, NONE OF THE LNDGS HAD BEEN STOP AND GOES, AND I HAD NOT EXPERIENCED THE DECREASING CTL EFFECTIVENESS. ALSO, I'M SURE MY LOW TIME IN THE TAILWHEEL ACFT PLAYED A PART. I HAD READ THAT, WITH TAILWHEEL ACFT, YOU NEED TO KEEP 'FLYING THE AIRPLANE' UNTIL IT COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP. WHILE I HAD READ THAT, AND THOUGHT I BELIEVED IT, THIS INCIDENT HAS DRIVEN THAT FACT HOME. IF I HAD NOT STARTED TO RELAX AS THE ACFT SLOWED DOWN, I MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID THIS 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.