What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was conducting a dual instructional flight with a student pilot who had completed the solo phase and was beginning checkride preparation. After practicing maneuvers, we returned to our home airport (kvct) for landing.
The approach was initially high, but the student made corrections prior to crossing the runway threshold. As we crossed the threshold, the student began to round out too early. The pilot gave repeated verbal instructions: “stop, bring the nose down, stop.” despite this, the student pilot continued to increase pitch. The pilot attempted to take control by adding power and lowering the nose, but the student pilot continued pulling back. They lost a significant amount of lift and experienced a hard landing on the nose wheel.
After touchdown. They rolled out at a safe speed but noticed increasing vibration. The pilot informed tower that they may have blown a tire and would be unable to clear the runway. The pilot shut down the aircraft and exited to inspect the nosewheel. The tire was flat, and the bearings were displaced. The nose strut appeared undamaged. Further inspection revealed a scrape about half an inch long on the tip of one propeller blade, indicating prop strike.
An airport staff member transported the flight crew from the runway, and the aircraft was later towed to the hangar. The student pilot reported he did not hear any of the PIC verbal inputs and described being in a tunnel vision state during the landing.
The pilot stated that he should have taken control earlier and initiated a go-around as soon as the approach became unstable.
Student’s premature flare and fixation under stress. Pilot stated that he was delayed in taking full control and initiating a go-around. Airspeed and energy management during flare where not adequately maintained. All were contributing factors.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WITH A STUDENT PILOT WHO HAD COMPLETED THE SOLO PHASE AND WAS BEGINNING CHECKRIDE PREPARATION. AFTER PRACTICING MANEUVERS, WE RETURNED TO OUR HOME AIRPORT (KVCT) FOR LANDING.
THE APPROACH WAS INITIALLY HIGH, BUT THE STUDENT MADE CORRECTIONS PRIOR TO CROSSING THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. AS WE CROSSED THE THRESHOLD, THE STUDENT BEGAN TO ROUND OUT TOO EARLY. THE PILOT GAVE REPEATED VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS: “STOP, BRING THE NOSE DOWN, STOP.” DESPITE THIS, THE STUDENT PILOT CONTINUED TO INCREASE PITCH. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKE CONTROL BY ADDING POWER AND LOWERING THE NOSE, BUT THE STUDENT PILOT CONTINUED PULLING BACK. THEY LOST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF LIFT AND EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING ON THE NOSE WHEEL.
AFTER TOUCHDOWN. THEY ROLLED OUT AT A SAFE SPEED BUT NOTICED INCREASING VIBRATION. THE PILOT INFORMED TOWER THAT THEY MAY HAVE BLOWN A TIRE AND WOULD BE UNABLE TO CLEAR THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND EXITED TO INSPECT THE NOSEWHEEL. THE TIRE WAS FLAT, AND THE BEARINGS WERE DISPLACED. THE NOSE STRUT APPEARED UNDAMAGED. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED A SCRAPE ABOUT HALF AN INCH LONG ON THE TIP OF ONE PROPELLER BLADE, INDICATING PROP STRIKE.
AN AIRPORT STAFF MEMBER TRANSPORTED THE FLIGHT CREW FROM THE RUNWAY, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS LATER TOWED TO THE HANGAR. THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED HE DID NOT HEAR ANY OF THE PIC VERBAL INPUTS AND DESCRIBED BEING IN A TUNNEL VISION STATE DURING THE LANDING.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CONTROL EARLIER AND INITIATED A GO-AROUND AS SOON AS THE APPROACH BECAME UNSTABLE.
STUDENT’S PREMATURE FLARE AND FIXATION UNDER STRESS. PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS DELAYED IN TAKING FULL CONTROL AND INITIATING A GO-AROUND. AIRSPEED AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT DURING FLARE WHERE NOT ADEQUATELY MAINTAINED. ALL WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.