Narrative:

I was conducting a check ride as a check pilot. During a soft field takeoff I reduced throttle to simulate engine failure. Examinee lowered the nose; but the airplane pitched down well below the horizon. We were able to raise the nose; however the airplane landed hard; wrinkling the skin over the gear legs although there was no damage to gear legs; tires; brakes or wheels. An antenna canister for the becker direction finding equipment installed on the bottom of the empennage struck the runway and was forced upward causing superficial damage to the empennage; and the tail ring was lost. There were no injuries. There was no damage to nose gear; propeller; fuselage or wings. I anticipated that with the power loss the airplane could be pitched down and would be in landing confign so that we would simply land on the remaining runway; but in reviewing the occurrence I have concluded that with the aircraft at a high angle of attack and high power setting with 20 degrees of flaps climbing at vx; there was so much drag both from aircraft attitude and flaps and the propeller at fine pitch and low RPM that when the propeller wash was lost the airplane decelerated and when the nose was pushed over there was less than usual elevator authority/authorized so that it pitched down very rapidly. The airplane descended so rapidly that the nose had barely come up when the gear contacted the runway. I was never aware of how little margin there is when conducting a maximum performance takeoff and climb. I would recommend never simulating engine failure during such a maneuver or simulating the exercise at an altitude sufficient to recover safely such as 3000 ft AGL. In general I will conduct a formal risk assessment for emergency procedures to be conducted on a check ride and plan all such emergency procedures in advance. I know that I will never again reduce power during a maximum performance takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 CHECK PILOT REPORTS HIS EXPERIENCED STUDENT MADE A HARD LNDG WITH MINOR ACFT DAMAGE AFTER HE SIMULATED A SOFT FIELD TKOF ENG FAILURE AT 100 FT.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING A CHK RIDE AS A CHK PLT. DURING A SOFT FIELD TKOF I REDUCED THROTTLE TO SIMULATE ENG FAILURE. EXAMINEE LOWERED THE NOSE; BUT THE AIRPLANE PITCHED DOWN WELL BELOW THE HORIZON. WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE THE NOSE; HOWEVER THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD; WRINKLING THE SKIN OVER THE GEAR LEGS ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO GEAR LEGS; TIRES; BRAKES OR WHEELS. AN ANTENNA CANISTER FOR THE BECKER DIRECTION FINDING EQUIP INSTALLED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE EMPENNAGE STRUCK THE RWY AND WAS FORCED UPWARD CAUSING SUPERFICIAL DAMAGE TO THE EMPENNAGE; AND THE TAIL RING WAS LOST. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO NOSE GEAR; PROP; FUSELAGE OR WINGS. I ANTICIPATED THAT WITH THE PWR LOSS THE AIRPLANE COULD BE PITCHED DOWN AND WOULD BE IN LNDG CONFIGN SO THAT WE WOULD SIMPLY LAND ON THE REMAINING RWY; BUT IN REVIEWING THE OCCURRENCE I HAVE CONCLUDED THAT WITH THE ACFT AT A HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK AND HIGH PWR SETTING WITH 20 DEGS OF FLAPS CLBING AT VX; THERE WAS SO MUCH DRAG BOTH FROM ACFT ATTITUDE AND FLAPS AND THE PROP AT FINE PITCH AND LOW RPM THAT WHEN THE PROP WASH WAS LOST THE AIRPLANE DECELERATED AND WHEN THE NOSE WAS PUSHED OVER THERE WAS LESS THAN USUAL ELEVATOR AUTH SO THAT IT PITCHED DOWN VERY RAPIDLY. THE AIRPLANE DSNDED SO RAPIDLY THAT THE NOSE HAD BARELY COME UP WHEN THE GEAR CONTACTED THE RWY. I WAS NEVER AWARE OF HOW LITTLE MARGIN THERE IS WHEN CONDUCTING A MAX PERFORMANCE TKOF AND CLB. I WOULD RECOMMEND NEVER SIMULATING ENG FAILURE DURING SUCH A MANEUVER OR SIMULATING THE EXERCISE AT AN ALT SUFFICIENT TO RECOVER SAFELY SUCH AS 3000 FT AGL. IN GENERAL I WILL CONDUCT A FORMAL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR EMER PROCS TO BE CONDUCTED ON A CHK RIDE AND PLAN ALL SUCH EMER PROCS IN ADVANCE. I KNOW THAT I WILL NEVER AGAIN REDUCE PWR DURING A MAX PERFORMANCE TKOF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.