Narrative:

I was giving flight instruction to a student pilot in the warrior. Lesson began friday at XA00 with a briefing about what the lesson was going to entail. Student informed me that his prior instructor was working with him on approachs to land. Student had not yet soloed. I informed him that it was important to establish and maintain a proper glide path using visual references during the approach and if at any time there was a change in the pitch altitude; power would have to be corrected accordingly. I stated that; 'if the pitch is increased; power is to be added to maintain a safe airspeed.' according to the initial ASOS report; the wind was 330 degrees at 12 KTS gusting to 22 KTS. The second round of ASOS reports stated that the winds were variable at 12 KTS gusting to 22 KTS. While observing the windsock from runway 27; the sock was swinging between 270-330 degrees while gusts were reported to be at 22 KTS. Crosswind corrections were applied and takeoff was uneventful. Approachs were 'squirrelly' because of the xwinds and at lower altitude it was obvious that the winds were blowing over the dike making the short final quite bumpy. The first couple of lndgs were uneventful. On the third approach; the student executed a go around because while attempting to line up with centerline he overcorrected and flew to the right side of the centerline. On the 4TH attempt after the go around; I took the controls: 1) demonstrated how to line up and establish a proper glide path. 2) demonstrated how to sideslip towards the runway. 3) demonstrated how to forward slip the plane during the approach. I landed with 25 degrees of flaps because of the wind's effects within the dike range. This landing was uneventful. I executed a touch-and-go and the student took the controls at that point to go around the pattern. The final approach looked quite stable with 45 degrees of flaps; and visual indications looked like we would have touched down around the '27' mark (about 50-70 ft beyond the runway pavement edge). On short final; the student had increased his pitch without adjusting the power; causing the ground speed to rapidly dissipate. When he pitched up; the airspeed indicated 60-62 KTS. The wind blowing over the dike caught us; pushed us down; and we struck the ground. The main landing gear hit the dirt portion of the approach; 3 ft short of the pavement and bounced us back up. I quickly took the controls and initiated a go around. During the go around; I stated that I would fly us back because I didn't know the condition of the landing gear. An uneventful landing took place. When we exited the runway; I got out of the plane and looked to see if there was any damage; and the only thing I saw; that is consistent with the warriors; is the right strut was compressed about 1 inch after a left turn from the runway. I lifted the wing and the strut corrected itself. At that time I did not notice the misalignment of the left strut or the other damage. We taxied back for another departure. We went out of the pattern and simulated at higher altitude; how to adjust pitch and power while making approachs. We returned for a landing using 25 degree notches of flaps and landing beyond the length of the dike to avoid the effects of the wind. When the plane was secured it was at that time I noticed the damage. The mechanic's evaluation of the damage revealed the skin of the wing became wrinkled; the landing strut is bent and misaligned. At no time at all did the approach look like it was going to end up short; and at no time was I negligent to manipulate the controls to correct all of the approachs and lndgs that day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A STUDENT PLT PRACTICING LNDGS WITH HIS INSTRUCTOR LANDED HARD IN GUSTY VARIABLE WINDS DAMAGING THE PA28'S STRUT AND WING.

Narrative: I WAS GIVING FLT INSTRUCTION TO A STUDENT PLT IN THE WARRIOR. LESSON BEGAN FRIDAY AT XA00 WITH A BRIEFING ABOUT WHAT THE LESSON WAS GOING TO ENTAIL. STUDENT INFORMED ME THAT HIS PRIOR INSTRUCTOR WAS WORKING WITH HIM ON APCHS TO LAND. STUDENT HAD NOT YET SOLOED. I INFORMED HIM THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A PROPER GLIDE PATH USING VISUAL REFS DURING THE APCH AND IF AT ANY TIME THERE WAS A CHANGE IN THE PITCH ALT; PWR WOULD HAVE TO BE CORRECTED ACCORDINGLY. I STATED THAT; 'IF THE PITCH IS INCREASED; PWR IS TO BE ADDED TO MAINTAIN A SAFE AIRSPD.' ACCORDING TO THE INITIAL ASOS RPT; THE WIND WAS 330 DEGS AT 12 KTS GUSTING TO 22 KTS. THE SECOND ROUND OF ASOS RPTS STATED THAT THE WINDS WERE VARIABLE AT 12 KTS GUSTING TO 22 KTS. WHILE OBSERVING THE WINDSOCK FROM RWY 27; THE SOCK WAS SWINGING BTWN 270-330 DEGS WHILE GUSTS WERE RPTED TO BE AT 22 KTS. XWIND CORRECTIONS WERE APPLIED AND TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL. APCHS WERE 'SQUIRRELLY' BECAUSE OF THE XWINDS AND AT LOWER ALT IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE WINDS WERE BLOWING OVER THE DIKE MAKING THE SHORT FINAL QUITE BUMPY. THE FIRST COUPLE OF LNDGS WERE UNEVENTFUL. ON THE THIRD APCH; THE STUDENT EXECUTED A GAR BECAUSE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LINE UP WITH CTRLINE HE OVERCORRECTED AND FLEW TO THE R SIDE OF THE CTRLINE. ON THE 4TH ATTEMPT AFTER THE GAR; I TOOK THE CTLS: 1) DEMONSTRATED HOW TO LINE UP AND ESTABLISH A PROPER GLIDE PATH. 2) DEMONSTRATED HOW TO SIDESLIP TOWARDS THE RWY. 3) DEMONSTRATED HOW TO FORWARD SLIP THE PLANE DURING THE APCH. I LANDED WITH 25 DEGS OF FLAPS BECAUSE OF THE WIND'S EFFECTS WITHIN THE DIKE RANGE. THIS LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. I EXECUTED A TOUCH-AND-GO AND THE STUDENT TOOK THE CTLS AT THAT POINT TO GO AROUND THE PATTERN. THE FINAL APCH LOOKED QUITE STABLE WITH 45 DEGS OF FLAPS; AND VISUAL INDICATIONS LOOKED LIKE WE WOULD HAVE TOUCHED DOWN AROUND THE '27' MARK (ABOUT 50-70 FT BEYOND THE RWY PAVEMENT EDGE). ON SHORT FINAL; THE STUDENT HAD INCREASED HIS PITCH WITHOUT ADJUSTING THE PWR; CAUSING THE GND SPD TO RAPIDLY DISSIPATE. WHEN HE PITCHED UP; THE AIRSPD INDICATED 60-62 KTS. THE WIND BLOWING OVER THE DIKE CAUGHT US; PUSHED US DOWN; AND WE STRUCK THE GND. THE MAIN LNDG GEAR HIT THE DIRT PORTION OF THE APCH; 3 FT SHORT OF THE PAVEMENT AND BOUNCED US BACK UP. I QUICKLY TOOK THE CTLS AND INITIATED A GAR. DURING THE GAR; I STATED THAT I WOULD FLY US BACK BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW THE CONDITION OF THE LNDG GEAR. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG TOOK PLACE. WHEN WE EXITED THE RWY; I GOT OUT OF THE PLANE AND LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY DAMAGE; AND THE ONLY THING I SAW; THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE WARRIORS; IS THE R STRUT WAS COMPRESSED ABOUT 1 INCH AFTER A L TURN FROM THE RWY. I LIFTED THE WING AND THE STRUT CORRECTED ITSELF. AT THAT TIME I DID NOT NOTICE THE MISALIGNMENT OF THE L STRUT OR THE OTHER DAMAGE. WE TAXIED BACK FOR ANOTHER DEP. WE WENT OUT OF THE PATTERN AND SIMULATED AT HIGHER ALT; HOW TO ADJUST PITCH AND PWR WHILE MAKING APCHS. WE RETURNED FOR A LNDG USING 25 DEG NOTCHES OF FLAPS AND LNDG BEYOND THE LENGTH OF THE DIKE TO AVOID THE EFFECTS OF THE WIND. WHEN THE PLANE WAS SECURED IT WAS AT THAT TIME I NOTICED THE DAMAGE. THE MECH'S EVALUATION OF THE DAMAGE REVEALED THE SKIN OF THE WING BECAME WRINKLED; THE LNDG STRUT IS BENT AND MISALIGNED. AT NO TIME AT ALL DID THE APCH LOOK LIKE IT WAS GOING TO END UP SHORT; AND AT NO TIME WAS I NEGLIGENT TO MANIPULATE THE CTLS TO CORRECT ALL OF THE APCHS AND LNDGS THAT DAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.