What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The flight instructor (PIC) was at marana regional airport (avq) performing a takeoff with a student. During the takeoff, the student’s door opened with the aircraft approximately 5 feet above the ground. PIC believed the student moved the yoke forward slightly while attempting to close the door. PIC said they took control to prevent the aircraft from descending onto the runway and striking the propeller. When the PIC pulled back on the yoke to stop the descent, the aircraft had made a hard contact with the runway. The PIC decided to continue the takeoff. The PIC did not notice any abnormal vibrations and the engine was running with no abnormal indications. At that time, the decision was made to fly the aircraft back to Falcon field airport (ffz). Upon arrival at ffz, the PIC was mindful of the earlier hard contact with the runway experienced at avq. Upon landing on runway 22L at ffz, the PIC kept the nose of the aircraft up as long as they could and was able to do this until the last moment when the nose wheel came down, and the propeller struck the runway immediately stopping the engine. Upon exiting the aircraft, the PIC and their student noticed that the plastic rim for the aircraft’s nosewheel was missing. Further visual inspection of the surrounding area resulted in the finding of pieces of the plastic rim behind the aircraft on the runway at ffz.
As the FAA filed it
THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (PIC) WAS AT MARANA REGIONAL AIRPORT (AVQ) PERFORMING A TAKEOFF WITH A STUDENT. DURING THE TAKEOFF, THE STUDENT’S DOOR OPENED WITH THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. PIC BELIEVED THE STUDENT MOVED THE YOKE FORWARD SLIGHTLY WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE DOOR. PIC SAID THEY TOOK CONTROL TO PREVENT THE AIRCRAFT FROM DESCENDING ONTO THE RUNWAY AND STRIKING THE PROPELLER. WHEN THE PIC PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE TO STOP THE DESCENT, THE AIRCRAFT HAD MADE A HARD CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. THE PIC DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF. THE PIC DID NOT NOTICE ANY ABNORMAL VIBRATIONS AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING WITH NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS. AT THAT TIME, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO FALCON FIELD AIRPORT (FFZ). UPON ARRIVAL AT FFZ, THE PIC WAS MINDFUL OF THE EARLIER HARD CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY EXPERIENCED AT AVQ. UPON LANDING ON RUNWAY 22L AT FFZ, THE PIC KEPT THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT UP AS LONG AS THEY COULD AND WAS ABLE TO DO THIS UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL CAME DOWN, AND THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY IMMEDIATELY STOPPING THE ENGINE. UPON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, THE PIC AND THEIR STUDENT NOTICED THAT THE PLASTIC RIM FOR THE AIRCRAFT’S NOSEWHEEL WAS MISSING. FURTHER VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE SURROUNDING AREA RESULTED IN THE FINDING OF PIECES OF THE PLASTIC RIM BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY AT FFZ.
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