FTW03LA179

While landing, the airplane encountered wake turbulence from a large helicopter that had previously landed. Prior to the pilot initiating a go-around, the left wing struck the runway. Subsequently, the pilot landed the airplane without further incident.

On June 14, 2003, about 1100 central daylight time, a Grumman AA-5B single-engine airplane, N81268, was substantially damaged when it impacted the runway following a loss of control while landing at David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport (DWH), near Spring, Texas. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. The flight instructor pilot and his pilot-rated student were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight originated from Houston-Southwest Airport (AXH) approximately 1030.

The 3,260-hour flight instructor recalled hearing automatic terminal information service (ATIS), "Yankee," when he contacted DWH tower, about 9 miles south of the airport. When the airplane was approximately 2 miles from the airport, the tower controller cleared the airplane for landing to runway 17R, which is 7,009 feet long and 100 feet wide. After the airplane was down-wind, the tower controller said, "Grumman 81268, cleared to land, number two," at which time the pilot saw a helicopter in front of him. As the helicopter turned base for landing, the pilot recognized the helicopter as a military CH-47 Chinook. After the Chinook landed, the tower controller instructed the helicopter to air taxi to the helipads. On final, about 1 mile out, the pilot reported that the airplane was, "cleared to land, wind from 190 degrees, at 13 knots gusting to 18, caution, wake turbulence." The pilot stated that he told his pilot-rated student that they would be touching down about 1,000 feet south of the helicopter's touchdown point to avoid rotor-wash.

Approximately 20 feet above the runway, the airplane encountered turbulence and the left wing "violently" dipped down; the left main landing gear struck the runway, and the airplane bounced. The pilot reported that he added full power and executed a go-around. A fly-by at tower altitude was made to determine visual damage by the tower controller, before an uneventful landing was performed by the pilot.