What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 28, 2010, tanner r. mainero, a certified flight instructor, privacy data omitted, was conducting tail wheel flight instruction with a non us certificated pilot, terence laidler, in a Champion 7EC, N781DD, at Winter Haven's gilbert field, Winter Haven, Florida. On or about the fifth touch and go the aircraft touched down on the right side of runway five and bounced. Once airborne after the bounce the non us certificated pilot, Mr. Laidler, applied left rudder which, upon settling back onto the ground caused the aircraft to veer sharply to the left. Mr. Mainero, the instructor, then took the flight controls to regain control of the aircraft. The aircraft departed the runway airborne and in ground effect at low speed approximately thirty degrees to the left of runway heading. While Mr. Mainero was flying the aircraft in ground effect on an approximate heading of twenty degrees, building speed prior to initiating a climb, the left main wheel struck a runway sign about one foot from the top of the sign. The collision impact broke the left main landing gear forward and center attach brackets. The left main landing gear assembly remained attached to the aircraft by the rear attach bracket in a trail position. The subsequent landing was conducted by Mr. Mainero as the sole manipulator of the flight controls. Mr. Mainero shut the engine down prior to touchdown and positioned the propeller with the starter so that the propeller would not contact the ground upon landing. The aircraft touched down on the right main landing gear and as airspeed decreased the left wingtip settled to the runway surface. The left wingtip bow's contact with the runway surface resulted in minor damage to the wingtip fabric. This minor fabric damage was in the form of a cut following the radius of the wingtip bow where it made contact with the runway surface. The left main tire and wheel made contact with the fuselage causing minor damage. This damage may have occurred during the collision with the sign, during the subsequent landing, or both. No further damage was identified.a review of Mr. Mainero's pilot records revealed that he was current and qualified. A review of Mr. Mainero's spas record revealed no history of accidents, incidents, or violations. Mr. Mainero successfully completed a CFI renewal practical test on October 11, 2010.a review of aircraft maintenance records indicated that the aircraft was in an airworthy condition and no noncompliance issues were identified. The weather was VFR with calm winds and was not considered to be a factor.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 28, 2010, TANNER R. MAINERO, A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS CONDUCTING TAIL WHEEL FLIGHT INSTRUCTION WITH A NON US CERTIFICATED PILOT, TERENCE LAIDLER, IN A CHAMPION 7EC, N781DD, AT WINTER HAVEN'S GILBERT FIELD, WINTER HAVEN, FLORIDA.ON OR ABOUT THE FIFTH TOUCH AND GO THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY FIVE AND BOUNCED. ONCE AIRBORNE AFTER THE BOUNCE THE NON US CERTIFICATED PILOT, MR. LAIDLER, APPLIED LEFT RUDDER WHICH, UPON SETTLING BACK ONTO THE GROUND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER SHARPLY TO THE LEFT. MR. MAINERO, THE INSTRUCTOR, THEN TOOK THE FLIGHT CONTROLS TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AIRBORNE AND IN GROUND EFFECT AT LOW SPEED APPROXIMATELY THIRTY DEGREES TO THE LEFT OF RUNWAY HEADING. WHILE MR. MAINERO WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT IN GROUND EFFECT ON AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF TWENTY DEGREES, BUILDING SPEED PRIOR TO INITIATING A CLIMB, THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL STRUCK A RUNWAY SIGN ABOUT ONE FOOT FROM THE TOP OF THE SIGN.THE COLLISION IMPACT BROKE THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR FORWARD AND CENTER ATTACH BRACKETS. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT BY THE REAR ATTACH BRACKET IN A TRAIL POSITION.THE SUBSEQUENT LANDING WAS CONDUCTED BY MR. MAINERO AS THE SOLE MANIPULATOR OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. MR. MAINERO SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN AND POSITIONED THE PROPELLER WITH THE STARTER SO THAT THE PROPELLER WOULD NOT CONTACT THE GROUND UPON LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND AS AIRSPEED DECREASED THE LEFT WINGTIP SETTLED TO THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE LEFT WINGTIP BOW'S CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE RESULTED IN MINOR DAMAGE TO THE WINGTIP FABRIC. THIS MINOR FABRIC DAMAGE WAS IN THE FORM OF A CUT FOLLOWING THE RADIUS OF THE WINGTIP BOW WHERE IT MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE.THE LEFT MAIN TIRE AND WHEEL MADE CONTACT WITH THE FUSELAGE CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE. THIS DAMAGE MAY HAVE OCCURRED DURING THE COLLISION WITH THE SIGN, DURING THE SUBSEQUENT LANDING, OR BOTH. NO FURTHER DAMAGE WAS IDENTIFIED.A REVIEW OF MR. MAINERO'S PILOT RECORDS REVEALED THAT HE WAS CURRENT AND QUALIFIED. A REVIEW OF MR. MAINERO'S SPAS RECORD REVEALED NO HISTORY OF ACCIDENTS, INCIDENTS, OR VIOLATIONS. MR. MAINERO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A CFI RENEWAL PRACTICAL TEST ON OCTOBER 11, 2010.A REVIEW OF AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION AND NO NONCOMPLIANCE ISSUES WERE IDENTIFIED.THE WEATHER WAS VFR WITH CALM WINDS AND WAS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A FACTOR.