What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was conducting pattern operations as a solo student, with an emphasis on short-field landings. The weather was approximately 5-7KTS wind, primarily a direct headwind. The first three traffic patterns were unremarkable, with the aiming point being the imagined “threshold” for short-field operations. The approach on the 4th pattern was normal in nature. Over the actual threshold, pilot maintained some power through the roundout to avoid touchdown prior to the aiming point. As the point approached, pilot reduced power to idle and applied back pressure. Touchdown occurred shortly thereafter with a firm, although not abnormal sink rate, as judged by the pilot. After the firm touchdown, pilot experienced pitching oscillations.
Pilot believed the airplane to be on the runway, and oscillating within the limits of the struts and tires, he confirmed that the power was at idle. In pilot's training, he has experienced more severe bounces upon landing (I.e., with a greater vertical component) and had been taught to conduct a go around in these situations. While he believes it is possible, he did not have the sensation that the airplane was porpoising, as he had previously associated this with repeatedly becoming airborne. Pilot does not recall hearing multiple tire squelches, as he thought would have been present with bounces.
After several oscillations, the plane eventually slowed and the oscillations calmed, and pilot exited the runway. Pilot did not hear a loud noise that he would have believed to be consistent with a propeller strike. He did not observe that there had been a propeller strike until after shutdown while securing the aircraft.
Airplane determined by aw ASI to be properly registered and inspected prior to incident and was appropriately airworthy for the flight conducted.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS CONDUCTING PATTERN OPERATIONS AS A SOLO STUDENT, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SHORT-FIELD LANDINGS. THE WEATHER WAS APPROXIMATELY 5-7KTS WIND, PRIMARILY A DIRECT HEADWIND. THE FIRST THREE TRAFFIC PATTERNS WERE UNREMARKABLE, WITH THE AIMING POINT BEING THE IMAGINED “THRESHOLD” FOR SHORT-FIELD OPERATIONS. THE APPROACH ON THE 4TH PATTERN WAS NORMAL IN NATURE. OVER THE ACTUAL THRESHOLD, PILOT MAINTAINED SOME POWER THROUGH THE ROUNDOUT TO AVOID TOUCHDOWN PRIOR TO THE AIMING POINT. AS THE POINT APPROACHED, PILOT REDUCED POWER TO IDLE AND APPLIED BACK PRESSURE. TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED SHORTLY THEREAFTER WITH A FIRM, ALTHOUGH NOT ABNORMAL SINK RATE, AS JUDGED BY THE PILOT. AFTER THE FIRM TOUCHDOWN, PILOT EXPERIENCED PITCHING OSCILLATIONS.
PILOT BELIEVED THE AIRPLANE TO BE ON THE RUNWAY, AND OSCILLATING WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE STRUTS AND TIRES, HE CONFIRMED THAT THE POWER WAS AT IDLE. IN PILOT'S TRAINING, HE HAS EXPERIENCED MORE SEVERE BOUNCES UPON LANDING (I.E., WITH A GREATER VERTICAL COMPONENT) AND HAD BEEN TAUGHT TO CONDUCT A GO AROUND IN THESE SITUATIONS. WHILE HE BELIEVES IT IS POSSIBLE, HE DID NOT HAVE THE SENSATION THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS PORPOISING, AS HE HAD PREVIOUSLY ASSOCIATED THIS WITH REPEATEDLY BECOMING AIRBORNE. PILOT DOES NOT RECALL HEARING MULTIPLE TIRE SQUELCHES, AS HE THOUGHT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRESENT WITH BOUNCES.
AFTER SEVERAL OSCILLATIONS, THE PLANE EVENTUALLY SLOWED AND THE OSCILLATIONS CALMED, AND PILOT EXITED THE RUNWAY. PILOT DID NOT HEAR A LOUD NOISE THAT HE WOULD HAVE BELIEVED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH A PROPELLER STRIKE. HE DID NOT OBSERVE THAT THERE HAD BEEN A PROPELLER STRIKE UNTIL AFTER SHUTDOWN WHILE SECURING THE AIRCRAFT.
AIRPLANE DETERMINED BY AW ASI TO BE PROPERLY REGISTERED AND INSPECTED PRIOR TO INCIDENT AND WAS APPROPRIATELY AIRWORTHY FOR THE FLIGHT CONDUCTED.
Other reports on N8373Y · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.