C150 instructor pilot attempts to execute a go around after student pilot fails to maintain runway a...

Attributes
ACN	630048
Time
Date	200409
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oqu.airport
State Reference	RI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 40
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : oqu.tower tower : mke.tower
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cessna 150
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 700
ASRS Report	630048
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	excursion : runway other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : executed go around flight crew : regained aircraft control
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

My student and I were doing touch-and-goes. Our first landing this day went excellent. Then came our second approach and landing. As we were on short final, my student was in full and complete control of the aircraft. When we were about 40 ft off the ground, we went about 45 degrees to the runway. I and the right landing gear were over the right side of the runway lights and runway and my student suddenly froze and stopped flying. At this time I said 'my controls' and attempted to go around. If I tried to land we would have flipped and rolled over a few times due to the side loading and angle to the runway we were at. As I executed the go around, the aircraft struck 1 runway light and the tail dragged on the ground for about 30 ft. This happened because we were at a high angle of attack, low airspeed, flaps went to 30 degrees and we had no lift left. So we dragged the tail. The plane then climbed to about 75-80 ft and veered sharply to the left (left turning tendencies) across the runway and into a closed/asphalt/grass runway. When I noticed the plane banked so sharply, I turned the plane to the right and let it slam down onto the ground -- main wheels first, then nose gear and wings level. There was no damage done to the aircraft at all. We just shattered a runway edge light. After the plane was firmly on the ground, I taxied back to the active runway and proceeded to the base of the tower to the parking area. I shut the aircraft down and talked to my student about what had just happened and did a walkaround of the airplane. The moral of the story is that my student let the plane fly him, let the winds get the best of him, and he froze on the controls at low altitudes. You can never stop flying that plane until you are on the ground with all wheels down. For me, I should have taken over the controls earlier and told him to go around sooner, but like I said my student was in control the whole time until we flared (took out wind correction angle) which pushed us to the right side. This tail strike happened so quick that I could not believe it was happening. So bottom line is that my student and I are ok and that the plane is not damaged. It is a lesson learned that will never happen again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 INSTRUCTOR PLT ATTEMPTS TO EXECUTE A GAR AFTER STUDENT PLT FAILS TO MAINTAIN RWY ALIGNMENT IN A XWIND. ACFT STRIKES TAIL, HITS A RWY LIGHT, AND DEPARTS THE RWY WITH MINIMAL DAMAGE AND NO INJURY.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I WERE DOING TOUCH-AND-GOES. OUR FIRST LNDG THIS DAY WENT EXCELLENT. THEN CAME OUR SECOND APCH AND LNDG. AS WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL, MY STUDENT WAS IN FULL AND COMPLETE CTL OF THE ACFT. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 40 FT OFF THE GND, WE WENT ABOUT 45 DEGS TO THE RWY. I AND THE R LNDG GEAR WERE OVER THE R SIDE OF THE RWY LIGHTS AND RWY AND MY STUDENT SUDDENLY FROZE AND STOPPED FLYING. AT THIS TIME I SAID 'MY CTLS' AND ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND. IF I TRIED TO LAND WE WOULD HAVE FLIPPED AND ROLLED OVER A FEW TIMES DUE TO THE SIDE LOADING AND ANGLE TO THE RWY WE WERE AT. AS I EXECUTED THE GAR, THE ACFT STRUCK 1 RWY LIGHT AND THE TAIL DRAGGED ON THE GND FOR ABOUT 30 FT. THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE WE WERE AT A HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK, LOW AIRSPD, FLAPS WENT TO 30 DEGS AND WE HAD NO LIFT LEFT. SO WE DRAGGED THE TAIL. THE PLANE THEN CLBED TO ABOUT 75-80 FT AND VEERED SHARPLY TO THE L (L TURNING TENDENCIES) ACROSS THE RWY AND INTO A CLOSED/ASPHALT/GRASS RWY. WHEN I NOTICED THE PLANE BANKED SO SHARPLY, I TURNED THE PLANE TO THE R AND LET IT SLAM DOWN ONTO THE GND -- MAIN WHEELS FIRST, THEN NOSE GEAR AND WINGS LEVEL. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE DONE TO THE ACFT AT ALL. WE JUST SHATTERED A RWY EDGE LIGHT. AFTER THE PLANE WAS FIRMLY ON THE GND, I TAXIED BACK TO THE ACTIVE RWY AND PROCEEDED TO THE BASE OF THE TWR TO THE PARKING AREA. I SHUT THE ACFT DOWN AND TALKED TO MY STUDENT ABOUT WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED AND DID A WALKAROUND OF THE AIRPLANE. THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS THAT MY STUDENT LET THE PLANE FLY HIM, LET THE WINDS GET THE BEST OF HIM, AND HE FROZE ON THE CTLS AT LOW ALTS. YOU CAN NEVER STOP FLYING THAT PLANE UNTIL YOU ARE ON THE GND WITH ALL WHEELS DOWN. FOR ME, I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OVER THE CTLS EARLIER AND TOLD HIM TO GO AROUND SOONER, BUT LIKE I SAID MY STUDENT WAS IN CTL THE WHOLE TIME UNTIL WE FLARED (TOOK OUT WIND CORRECTION ANGLE) WHICH PUSHED US TO THE R SIDE. THIS TAIL STRIKE HAPPENED SO QUICK THAT I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT WAS HAPPENING. SO BOTTOM LINE IS THAT MY STUDENT AND I ARE OK AND THAT THE PLANE IS NOT DAMAGED. IT IS A LESSON LEARNED THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.

C150 instructor pilot attempts to execute a go around after student pilot fails to maintain runway alignment in a crosswind. Aircraft strikes tail, hits a runway light, and departs the runway with minimal damage and no injury.