What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
It was a routine student training flight. During the pre-flight of the aircraft, no abnormalities were
Found. After engine startup, nothing was out of the ordinary. Engine start was fine, taxi to run up and run up had no issues or abnormalities noted. During the static take-off, the student abruptly put in power, leading to a "knock" sound coming from the front of the airplane. At the time, the instructor believed that it was an engine backfire due to the student abruptly adding more power. No engine indications were outside of the normal, so the takeoff roll was continued. While airborne, no abnormalities were noted, and the flight was fine. Coming back into the airport, the student made a safe landing with no abnormalities being noted. Parking the airplane was made safely with nothing being hit or any abnormalities. During the post-flight of the airplane, the prop blade damage was missed, which appeared to be from a gunshot, with the bullet hitting the propeller from the back side and mushrooming the propeller out the front. It wasn't until the pre-flight of the next flight that the instructor found the prop damage.
As the FAA filed it
IT WAS A ROUTINE STUDENT TRAINING FLIGHT. DURING THE PRE-FLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT, NO ABNORMALITIES WERE
FOUND. AFTER ENGINE STARTUP, NOTHING WAS OUT OF THE ORDINARY. ENGINE START WAS FINE, TAXI TO RUN UP AND RUN UP HAD NO ISSUES OR ABNORMALITIES NOTED. DURING THE STATIC TAKE-OFF, THE STUDENT ABRUPTLY PUT IN POWER, LEADING TO A "KNOCK" SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE. AT THE TIME, THE INSTRUCTOR BELIEVED THAT IT WAS AN ENGINE BACKFIRE DUE TO THE STUDENT ABRUPTLY ADDING MORE POWER. NO ENGINE INDICATIONS WERE OUTSIDE OF THE NORMAL, SO THE TAKEOFF ROLL WAS CONTINUED. WHILE AIRBORNE, NO ABNORMALITIES WERE NOTED, AND THE FLIGHT WAS FINE. COMING BACK INTO THE AIRPORT, THE STUDENT MADE A SAFE LANDING WITH NO ABNORMALITIES BEING NOTED. PARKING THE AIRPLANE WAS MADE SAFELY WITH NOTHING BEING HIT OR ANY ABNORMALITIES. DURING THE POST-FLIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE, THE PROP BLADE DAMAGE WAS MISSED, WHICH APPEARED TO BE FROM A GUNSHOT, WITH THE BULLET HITTING THE PROPELLER FROM THE BACK SIDE AND MUSHROOMING THE PROPELLER OUT THE FRONT. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE PRE-FLIGHT OF THE NEXT FLIGHT THAT THE INSTRUCTOR FOUND THE PROP DAMAGE.