What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Certified flight instructor (CFI) was overseeing a training flight with a student who was having issues with pattern entries, which led them to practice at C47 (Portage Municipal Airport). They were focusing on short field operations, using runway 18 due to the wind conditions at Wisconsin dells being at 130 degrees.
During the approach, the aircraft was initially at 80 knots, which was higher than the typical short field approach speed of 70-75 knots. On short final, the student reduced speed to just above 70 knots. The CFI noticed the nose pitching up and the airspeed decreasing, which can lead to a potential stall. As the aircraft began to drop, both the CFI and the student initiated a go-around procedure.
The CFI stated it didn’t feel like a tail strike, he said he’s never experienced one so didn’t know what one felt like. They completed that pattern, said the aircraft flew fine, landed and taxied to the FBO. Thinking he had a hard landing, he stated he got out of the aircraft to look for any damage to the main landing gear. He said he didn’t think it was a hard landing but that it was a hard enough landing and he had the company’s previous day accident on his mind. Stated he only looked at the mains for any damage.
They completed the planned training evolution at C47, then conducted landings at dll and C35 before returning to msn. Once shutdown at msn, the CFI said he noticed the damage to the tail when he tried to secure the aircraft and noticed there wasn’t a tail tie down anymore and saw the damage to the underside of the most aft portion of the tail. He stated he then contacted maintenance.
Damage to the aircraft consisted of 18’ of damage to the lower composite fuselage just forward of the rudder. The tail tie down was driven aft, damaging the vertical spar 10“ or so up from the base of the spar. The composite fairing on the lower rudder was severely damaged. No other skin damage was noted on the rudder, horizontal stab, or elevators; the rudder and vertical stab hinge points were damaged bent slightly upward. According to the maintenance department no other damage was noted on the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WAS OVERSEEING A TRAINING FLIGHT WITH A STUDENT WHO WAS HAVING ISSUES WITH PATTERN ENTRIES, WHICH LED THEM TO PRACTICE AT C47 (PORTAGE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT). THEY WERE FOCUSING ON SHORT FIELD OPERATIONS, USING RUNWAY 18 DUE TO THE WIND CONDITIONS AT WISCONSIN DELLS BEING AT 130 DEGREES.
DURING THE APPROACH, THE AIRCRAFT WAS INITIALLY AT 80 KNOTS, WHICH WAS HIGHER THAN THE TYPICAL SHORT FIELD APPROACH SPEED OF 70-75 KNOTS. ON SHORT FINAL, THE STUDENT REDUCED SPEED TO JUST ABOVE 70 KNOTS. THE CFI NOTICED THE NOSE PITCHING UP AND THE AIRSPEED DECREASING, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A POTENTIAL STALL. AS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DROP, BOTH THE CFI AND THE STUDENT INITIATED A GO-AROUND PROCEDURE.
THE CFI STATED IT DIDN’T FEEL LIKE A TAIL STRIKE, HE SAID HE’S NEVER EXPERIENCED ONE SO DIDN’T KNOW WHAT ONE FELT LIKE. THEY COMPLETED THAT PATTERN, SAID THE AIRCRAFT FLEW FINE, LANDED AND TAXIED TO THE FBO. THINKING HE HAD A HARD LANDING, HE STATED HE GOT OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT TO LOOK FOR ANY DAMAGE TO THE MAIN LANDING GEAR. HE SAID HE DIDN’T THINK IT WAS A HARD LANDING BUT THAT IT WAS A HARD ENOUGH LANDING AND HE HAD THE COMPANY’S PREVIOUS DAY ACCIDENT ON HIS MIND. STATED HE ONLY LOOKED AT THE MAINS FOR ANY DAMAGE.
THEY COMPLETED THE PLANNED TRAINING EVOLUTION AT C47, THEN CONDUCTED LANDINGS AT DLL AND C35 BEFORE RETURNING TO MSN. ONCE SHUTDOWN AT MSN, THE CFI SAID HE NOTICED THE DAMAGE TO THE TAIL WHEN HE TRIED TO SECURE THE AIRCRAFT AND NOTICED THERE WASN’T A TAIL TIE DOWN ANYMORE AND SAW THE DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE MOST AFT PORTION OF THE TAIL. HE STATED HE THEN CONTACTED MAINTENANCE.
DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT CONSISTED OF 18’ OF DAMAGE TO THE LOWER COMPOSITE FUSELAGE JUST FORWARD OF THE RUDDER. THE TAIL TIE DOWN WAS DRIVEN AFT, DAMAGING THE VERTICAL SPAR 10“ OR SO UP FROM THE BASE OF THE SPAR. THE COMPOSITE FAIRING ON THE LOWER RUDDER WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. NO OTHER SKIN DAMAGE WAS NOTED ON THE RUDDER, HORIZONTAL STAB, OR ELEVATORS; THE RUDDER AND VERTICAL STAB HINGE POINTS WERE DAMAGED BENT SLIGHTLY UPWARD. ACCORDING TO THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTED ON THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N78RC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.