20250603014129A

“ON THE DATE IN QUESTION, I WAS PROVIDING A COMMERCIAL PILOT CANDIDATE WITH SOME TAIL WHEEL INSTRUCTION IN A COMPANY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PA-18. THE FIRST DAY OF TRAINING WAS SUCCESSFUL AND WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PILOT EXHIBITED CONTROL OVER THE AIRCRAFT IN ALL PHASES OF FLIGHT. ON DAY TWO, THE PILOT AND I STARTED BY HEADING BACK TO WILLOW AIRPORT. THE FORECAST HAD A HIGH OVERCAST LAYER, WITH WINDS EXPECTED TO PICK UP LATER IN THE DAY AT PALMER BUT WERE FORECASTED TO BE CALM IN WILLOW THAT MORNING. WE OVERFLEW THE AIRPORT LOOKING AT THE WINDSOCK AND IT APPEARED TO BE LAYING DOWN. WE PROCEEDED TO ENTER A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 13 WITH A NORMAL DOWNWIND/BASE/FINAL PATTERN. SIMILAR AIRCRAFT FLOWS WERE USED FOR AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATION LIKE THE DAY BEFORE AND THE STUDENT SET UP A STABLE APPROACH ON FINAL. WHEN APPROACHING 500FT AGL, SMALL VARIABLE GUSTING WINDS AND MILD TURBULENCE, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, WERE NOTED, AND THE STUDENT APPEARED TO TENSE UP, I ASKED HER IF SHE WAS FEELING OK, AND SHE SAID YES. WITH HER SUCCESSFUL EVENT THE DAY PRIOR I OPTED TO CONTINUE COACHING HER TO THE RUNWAY/LANDING ENVIRONMENT, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS POISED FOR AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A 3-POINT LANDING TRACKING STRAIGHT DOWN THE RUNWAY (SLIGHTLY LEFT OF CENTER LINE) AS AIRCRAFT SLOWED, AIRCRAFT NOSE EXPERIENCED A SHARP TURN TO THE LEFT WITH A MODERATE GUST OF WIND, THE STUDENT ATTEMPTED CORRECTION WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF RIGHT RUDDER (POSSIBLY SMALL STAB OF RIGHT BRAKE) NOSE CONTINUED TO THE LEFT, I CALLED OUT FOR MORE RIGHT RUDDER AND TO ADD POWER BUT SHE SEEMED TO FREEZE UP, AND DID NOT COMMUNICATE OR REACT. AT THAT POINT I APPLIED FULL RIGHT RUDDER, APPLIED A BRIEF AND FULL STAB OF POWER, AND LEFT AILERON. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED LEFT, AND WITH ARRIVING NEAR THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY, WHERE THE TREES WERE GETTING CLOSER, I PULLED THE POWER OUT AS ATTEMPTING A GO AROUND WOULD HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. I LOOKED OUT THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR/WINDOW AT THE RIGHT WHEEL AS THE TIRE WAS FOLDING UNDER AND DRAGGING HARD. THE AIRCRAFTS RIGHT WING DROPPED, AND CONTACTED THE GROUND IN A GROUND LOOP AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT IN NORMAL 3-POINT POSITION. AFTER ASSESSING STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR SAFETY AND FOR POSSIBLE INJURY, MY STUDENT CONFIRMED SHE WAS OK, I VERIFIED THE AIRCRAFT WAS SAFE FOR TAXI AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI OFF THE RUNWAY, SHUT DOWN, AND CALLED THE CHIEF PILOT FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTION. I NOTED THE WINDSOCK WHERE WE PARKED AND WOULD ESTIMATE THE WINDS WERE VARIABLE 7MPH GUSTING UP TO 11MPH FROM LEFT TO RIGHT.

IN THE AFTERMATH OF THIS, I COULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF STUDENT STRESS AS SHE HAD TENSED UP ON THE APPROACH. I GAVE HER MORE LEEWAY THAN I SHOULD HAVE DUE TO HER SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE THE DAY BEFORE. ALSO REMINDING HER OF PROPER AILERON USAGE WITH CROSSWINDS WOULD HAVE BEEN PRUDENT. UNFORTUNATELY, BY MY COMFORT WITH HER FLYING BASED ON THE PREVIOUS DAY, HER NOT REACTING QUICKLY TO MY CORRECTIVE CALLOUTS AND IN THE END ESSENTIALLY GOING UNRESPONSIVE, BY THE TIME I INTERVENED IT WAS TOO LATE. I HAVE ALSO COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT I AM GOING TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH MY STUDENTS IN THE FUTURE MASTERING THE WHEEL LANDING BEFORE TRYING TAIL WHEEL LANDINGS.”