What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During orientation training flight with company instructor pilot (ip) pilot attempted a landing on rnwy 22 grass, following a go around due to overshooting on the first attempt.
Pilot had previously executed a landing on the pavement prior to attempting the landing on the grass runway.
Pilot stated approach appeared normal, he remembered seeing about 450 fpm on approach and lots of power changes were required to maintain glidepath, as had been the case on previous approaches. On short final at about treetop level he appeared to be above glidepath, so he reduced throttle to compensate and determined he would still hit intendened landing spot so he continued the landing. At this time the aircraft encountered a down draft or lost some of the headwind component and this accelerated his descent. Pilot applied power and held elevator pressure through the drop and did not reduce it with increased power, and subsequently over-rotated. Aircraft hit firmly and bounced, and then yawed 30 degrees to the left. Pilot elected to execute a touch and go due to the unexpected swerve.
The ip took the controls at about treetop level and continued the go-around. Ip stated he was having rudder control issues, pilot looked back at the rudder and could see that the rudder deflected slightly to the left. Ip stated that he believed they had struck the tail and jammed the tailcone into the rudder. Aircraft exited the pattern and ip instructed the pilot under instruction(pui) to gather weather info at other airports and find something with a right crosswind. Winds were either down the runway or had a left crosswind at eqy and lkr, and were gusty. The ip thought chester (kdcm) might have a suitable runway and it was confirmed that chester had a north-south runway that would likely give a right crosswind and that no closer runways would be likely to give favorable conditions.
Ip conducted an uneventful landing at kdcm. Subsequent inspection of the aircraft showed a damaged tailcone that was interfering with rudder operation. Company maintenance personnel inspected the aircraft and determined, that other than the tailcone, the aircraft had experienced no other damage. Tail cone was removed straightened and aircraft was approved for return to service and was flown back to and landed at N52 without incident
As the FAA filed it
DURING ORIENTATION TRAINING FLIGHT WITH COMPANY INSTRUCTOR PILOT (IP) PILOT ATTEMPTED A LANDING ON RNWY 22 GRASS, FOLLOWING A GO AROUND DUE TO OVERSHOOTING ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT.
PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY EXECUTED A LANDING ON THE PAVEMENT PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING THE LANDING ON THE GRASS RUNWAY.
PILOT STATED APPROACH APPEARED NORMAL, HE REMEMBERED SEEING ABOUT 450 FPM ON APPROACH AND LOTS OF POWER CHANGES WERE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN GLIDEPATH, AS HAD BEEN THE CASE ON PREVIOUS APPROACHES. ON SHORT FINAL AT ABOUT TREETOP LEVEL HE APPEARED TO BE ABOVE GLIDEPATH, SO HE REDUCED THROTTLE TO COMPENSATE AND DETERMINED HE WOULD STILL HIT INTENDENED LANDING SPOT SO HE CONTINUED THE LANDING. AT THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A DOWN DRAFT OR LOST SOME OF THE HEADWIND COMPONENT AND THIS ACCELERATED HIS DESCENT. PILOT APPLIED POWER AND HELD ELEVATOR PRESSURE THROUGH THE DROP AND DID NOT REDUCE IT WITH INCREASED POWER, AND SUBSEQUENTLY OVER-ROTATED. AIRCRAFT HIT FIRMLY AND BOUNCED, AND THEN YAWED 30 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. PILOT ELECTED TO EXECUTE A TOUCH AND GO DUE TO THE UNEXPECTED SWERVE.
THE IP TOOK THE CONTROLS AT ABOUT TREETOP LEVEL AND CONTINUED THE GO-AROUND. IP STATED HE WAS HAVING RUDDER CONTROL ISSUES, PILOT LOOKED BACK AT THE RUDDER AND COULD SEE THAT THE RUDDER DEFLECTED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT. IP STATED THAT HE BELIEVED THEY HAD STRUCK THE TAIL AND JAMMED THE TAILCONE INTO THE RUDDER. AIRCRAFT EXITED THE PATTERN AND IP INSTRUCTED THE PILOT UNDER INSTRUCTION(PUI) TO GATHER WEATHER INFO AT OTHER AIRPORTS AND FIND SOMETHING WITH A RIGHT CROSSWIND. WINDS WERE EITHER DOWN THE RUNWAY OR HAD A LEFT CROSSWIND AT EQY AND LKR, AND WERE GUSTY. THE IP THOUGHT CHESTER (KDCM) MIGHT HAVE A SUITABLE RUNWAY AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT CHESTER HAD A NORTH-SOUTH RUNWAY THAT WOULD LIKELY GIVE A RIGHT CROSSWIND AND THAT NO CLOSER RUNWAYS WOULD BE LIKELY TO GIVE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS.
IP CONDUCTED AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING AT KDCM. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED A DAMAGED TAILCONE THAT WAS INTERFERING WITH RUDDER OPERATION. COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND DETERMINED, THAT OTHER THAN THE TAILCONE, THE AIRCRAFT HAD EXPERIENCED NO OTHER DAMAGE. TAIL CONE WAS REMOVED STRAIGHTENED AND AIRCRAFT WAS APPROVED FOR RETURN TO SERVICE AND WAS FLOWN BACK TO AND LANDED AT N52 WITHOUT INCIDENT