What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Incident investigation narrative
On June 14, 2023, at approximately 13:20 LCL, a Cessna 172 was approaching runway 21R at Prescott regional airport (prc) while performing a “touch and go” during power-off 180’S (commercial acs maneuver). The aircraft’s pilot in command (PIC) was a certified flight instructor (CFI). A commercial pilot student was receiving instruction for an airplane single engine land (asel) certificate rating add-on.
The student pilot made multiple attempts to land after experiencing difficulty controlling the aircraft’s glide profile on the previous landing attempts. On the final landing attempt, while experiencing updrafts and downdrafts, with winds from 180 @ 6 gusting to 12 knots, the student pilot was able to maintain target airspeed of 68 knots crossing the threshold at approximately 65 knots with the 1,000’ runway markings as the landing target.
While the student pilot was rounding out for landing, the aircraft dropped to the runway surface, sinking and “crashing down” on the runway quickly and unexpectedly. The student pilot attempted another go-around and at that time, added full power. The right wheel lifted off the ground and the CFI took the controls. As the aircraft drifted left, she tried to add right aileron and pulled back on the yoke. The CFI stated she heard a “crunching noise” as the tail of the aircraft likely struck the ground. The aircraft continued heading left toward the side of the runway and eventually left the asphalt surface of the runway. The CFI set the engine to idle power and was able to regain directional control of the aircraft with rudder input. The aircraft was eventually returned to the asphalt runway surface where the aircraft was stopped. The CFI declared an emergency and performed an engine shutdown.
The CFI and student pilot were uninjured. The aircraft sustained minor damage to the lower base of the rudder and left wing tip. The aircraft was retrieved by prc airport operations and towed to the ramp.
Causal/contributing factors:
The CFI indicated while practicing the power-off 180S that the student pilot had experienced difficulties maintaining an appropriate glide profile during the initial landing attempts. The CFI also indicated on this particular day, the aircraft was experiencing sudden reductions in lift as a result of unpredictable wind conditions which also included probable wind shear and wind gusts. After further evaluation and having interviewed the CFI, a delay in the cfi’s reaction time upon landing, as the student was losing control during a quickly evolving situation, most likely led to further deviation and the eventual aircraft damage
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Recommendations for systemic corrective action to reduce risk of future occurrence:
• The investigating ASI performed the compliance action of counseling and discussed student training, continuing education, the applicable regulations, root cause analysis, and mitigating strategies to prevent reoccurrence.
• The PIC completed three (3) online courses available at faasafety. Gov related to maneuvering: approach and landing and avoiding loss of control and low workload descent, approach & landing.
As the FAA filed it
INCIDENT INVESTIGATION NARRATIVE
ON JUNE 14, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 13:20 LCL, A CESSNA 172 WAS APPROACHING RUNWAY 21R AT PRESCOTT REGIONAL AIRPORT (PRC) WHILE PERFORMING A “TOUCH AND GO” DURING POWER-OFF 180’S (COMMERCIAL ACS MANEUVER). THE AIRCRAFT’S PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) WAS A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI). A COMMERCIAL PILOT STUDENT WAS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION FOR AN AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND (ASEL) CERTIFICATE RATING ADD-ON.
THE STUDENT PILOT MADE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO LAND AFTER EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE AIRCRAFT’S GLIDE PROFILE ON THE PREVIOUS LANDING ATTEMPTS. ON THE FINAL LANDING ATTEMPT, WHILE EXPERIENCING UPDRAFTS AND DOWNDRAFTS, WITH WINDS FROM 180 @ 6 GUSTING TO 12 KNOTS, THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN TARGET AIRSPEED OF 68 KNOTS CROSSING THE THRESHOLD AT APPROXIMATELY 65 KNOTS WITH THE 1,000’ RUNWAY MARKINGS AS THE LANDING TARGET.
WHILE THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ROUNDING OUT FOR LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED TO THE RUNWAY SURFACE, SINKING AND “CRASHING DOWN” ON THE RUNWAY QUICKLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY. THE STUDENT PILOT ATTEMPTED ANOTHER GO-AROUND AND AT THAT TIME, ADDED FULL POWER. THE RIGHT WHEEL LIFTED OFF THE GROUND AND THE CFI TOOK THE CONTROLS. AS THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED LEFT, SHE TRIED TO ADD RIGHT AILERON AND PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE. THE CFI STATED SHE HEARD A “CRUNCHING NOISE” AS THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT LIKELY STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED HEADING LEFT TOWARD THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND EVENTUALLY LEFT THE ASPHALT SURFACE OF THE RUNWAY. THE CFI SET THE ENGINE TO IDLE POWER AND WAS ABLE TO REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH RUDDER INPUT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EVENTUALLY RETURNED TO THE ASPHALT RUNWAY SURFACE WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS STOPPED. THE CFI DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND PERFORMED AN ENGINE SHUTDOWN.
THE CFI AND STUDENT PILOT WERE UNINJURED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LOWER BASE OF THE RUDDER AND LEFT WING TIP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETRIEVED BY PRC AIRPORT OPERATIONS AND TOWED TO THE RAMP.
CAUSAL/CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
THE CFI INDICATED WHILE PRACTICING THE POWER-OFF 180S THAT THE STUDENT PILOT HAD EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTIES MAINTAINING AN APPROPRIATE GLIDE PROFILE DURING THE INITIAL LANDING ATTEMPTS. THE CFI ALSO INDICATED ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXPERIENCING SUDDEN REDUCTIONS IN LIFT AS A RESULT OF UNPREDICTABLE WIND CONDITIONS WHICH ALSO INCLUDED PROBABLE WIND SHEAR AND WIND GUSTS. AFTER FURTHER EVALUATION AND HAVING INTERVIEWED THE CFI, A DELAY IN THE CFI’S REACTION TIME UPON LANDING, AS THE STUDENT WAS LOSING CONTROL DURING A QUICKLY EVOLVING SITUATION, MOST LIKELY LED TO FURTHER DEVIATION AND THE EVENTUAL AIRCRAFT DAMAGE
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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SYSTEMIC CORRECTIVE ACTION TO REDUCE RISK OF FUTURE OCCURRENCE:
• THE INVESTIGATING ASI PERFORMED THE COMPLIANCE ACTION OF COUNSELING AND DISCUSSED STUDENT TRAINING, CONTINUING EDUCATION, THE APPLICABLE REGULATIONS, ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS, AND MITIGATING STRATEGIES TO PREVENT REOCCURRENCE.
• THE PIC COMPLETED THREE (3) ONLINE COURSES AVAILABLE AT FAASAFETY.GOV RELATED TO MANEUVERING: APPROACH AND LANDING AND AVOIDING LOSS OF CONTROL AND LOW WORKLOAD DESCENT, APPROACH & LANDING.