Small aircraft main gear contacts a tree on short final for a night landing with student pilot at the controls and instructor pilot distraction by excess airspeed.

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Attributes
ACN	639496
Time
Date	200412
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : akr.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 150
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1400 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	639496
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My 50 hour student and I were practicing night takeoff and lndgs. We had a flap failure. I thought I would let the student practice a slip to land. On final, the student let the airspeed climb and I fixated on airspeed not noticing that we were also low. The main right touched the top of a tree near the end of the runway. I took control of the airplane and landed uneventfully. As soon as we experienced the flap failure, I should have taken over control of the airplane per the regulations. I also should not have been distraction by the student's control of the airspeed and kept situational awareness, especially at night.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA MAIN GEAR CONTACTS A TREE ON SHORT FINAL FOR A NIGHT LNDG WITH STUDENT PLT AT THE CTLS AND INSTRUCTOR PLT DISTR BY EXCESS AIRSPD.

Narrative: MY 50 HR STUDENT AND I WERE PRACTICING NIGHT TKOF AND LNDGS. WE HAD A FLAP FAILURE. I THOUGHT I WOULD LET THE STUDENT PRACTICE A SLIP TO LAND. ON FINAL, THE STUDENT LET THE AIRSPD CLB AND I FIXATED ON AIRSPD NOT NOTICING THAT WE WERE ALSO LOW. THE MAIN R TOUCHED THE TOP OF A TREE NEAR THE END OF THE RWY. I TOOK CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. AS SOON AS WE EXPERIENCED THE FLAP FAILURE, I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OVER CTL OF THE AIRPLANE PER THE REGS. I ALSO SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISTR BY THE STUDENT'S CTL OF THE AIRSPD AND KEPT SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.

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.