Bad couple weeks...

FlyingPoke

FlyingPoke

I'm here to help...
Anybody else have a bad stretch like this?

In the past 2 weeks I've broken the door latch lever (C172, that plastic is not very strong, and the door was doing something strange), had a tail strike (on a soft-field takeoff, he let the nose fall down then pulled all the way back, nothig too major), and just today blew out a tire practicing crosswind landings.

All 3 of these incidents were the only times I have EVER caused damage to an airplane, and all just happened to be with the same student... strange, but he really isnt at fault for any of it. And maybe I'm just paranoid, but I feel like my boss should be yelling at me... but he's not so I feel even worse haha.

Man, what a bad couple weeks...
 
Yeah, that stuff can happen, that's why you gotta watch these guys carefully.

When doing soft field takeoffs, I tell my students to gradually apply power and lighten the nose wheel just enough to get it off the ground. There's don't need to be doing a wheelie - this gets too close to a tail strike.

Blowing a tire on x-wind landings? Don't let them come in crooked. That's one of the few times I'll ever make a control input is when we're crooked.

I remember a flight with our Arrow a few weeks ago... I was with a visiting student pilot and the door came open. It's very distracting compared to a cessna, and I hadn't flow the Arrow in about 3 months prior to this. Anyway, we were coming in a little slow on final and he chopped the power on short final. It took me a split second longer to get back on the power due to my unfamiliarization with controls, and we hit HARD on the nose gear (I was full back on the elevator). I swear I thought we broke something. Fortunately we didn't, but it could've been ugly.
 
Yeah, things happen. I think every instructor has had a tail tap or two on soft fields. You try not to let it happen, but then again...

Neat one I had was a student overpriming a carb engine when I was jotting something down, tapped the starter and *POOF* engine fire on start up. No significant damage, but enough to remind you not to let your guard down.
 
Ya, I figured out the soft-field after that incident for sure, strange thing about the tire was the landing was perfect (correct main - no side load, at least not excessive anyway) it wasnt until we were getting slowed down for the back-taxi that the flopping started.
 
FlyingPoke said:
Ya, I figured out the soft-field after that incident for sure, strange thing about the tire was the landing was perfect (correct main - no side load, at least not excessive anyway) it wasnt until we were getting slowed down for the back-taxi that the flopping started.
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That is weird, but I've seen that happen too. Nothing you can do... Actually, I bet that was a great learning experience for your student (and you too, not that you'd tell the student that :D).
 
Perhaps he's actually pushing on the brakes instead of the rudder pedal exclusively. This is a big problem in Diamonds. Was it the downwind tire?
 
bhh1128 said:
Perhaps he's actually pushing on the brakes instead of the rudder pedal exclusively. This is a big problem in Diamonds. Was it the downwind tire?
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Trust me, he'd know if his student was hitting the brakes instead of the rudder.
 
wrxpilot said:
Trust me, he'd know if his student was hitting the brakes instead of the rudder.
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What exactly is that supposed to mean? I wasn't implying brakes instead of rudder, I meant rudder+brake instead of rudder. This isn't all that rare, and gets to be expensive on planes like the Diamonds, where the rudder pedals are a complete mess.
 
Just wondering why you say he really isn't at fault for any of these? If you give him the bye, then you'll have to accept the responsibility. It seems like these are all pilot error problems. He caused them, you didn't (couldn't) correct them fast enough. Is that what you mean?

BTW, the first time I flew a Seneca, I had my foot on the brake and didn't realize it until after the tire had blown. If you look at the tire, all the evidence you need to reconstruct the mishap will be there.

All of this is good learning for both you and your student. Glad you came through it with only a story.
:)
 
bhh1128 said:
What exactly is that supposed to mean? I wasn't implying brakes instead of rudder, I meant rudder+brake instead of rudder. This isn't all that rare, and gets to be expensive on planes like the Diamonds, where the rudder pedals are a complete mess.
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It means if you've been flight instructing for more than 10 hrs, you know when a student is touching the brakes during T/O and landing. It's a common occurance and you quickly develop the feel for when they're doing it.
 
wrxpilot said:
It means if you've been flight instructing for more than 10 hrs, you know when a student is touching the brakes during T/O and landing. It's a common occurance and you quickly develop the feel for when they're doing it.
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Well you and I are definitely on the same page there. I just thought I'd bring it up in case he hasn't quite gotten that feel down yet.
 
wrxpilot said:
That is weird, but I've seen that happen too. Nothing you can do... Actually, I bet that was a great learning experience for your student (and you too, not that you'd tell the student that :D).
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Haha, ya he's taught me a lot through his couple mishaps, and I've told him.

Anyway to answer the questions: It was the downwind tire, and he did hold the brakes a little too firm when slowing down after touchdown but I just heard a chirp of the tires then told him to get off them so it wasnt excessive either. Also the tire wasnt brand new, but still wasnt bald or showing threads by any means. Havent seen the tire to see if it was cut or flat spotted or had threads showing... have to see tomorrow.

And I say they werent his mistakes because for one I instructed him to hold full aft for the soft-field takeoff (the brand new cessna with the 180hp engine lifts the nose a bit faster than the 1970's 172's I was trained in, thus the error in training him the correct way). But, it had the skid plate attached for tail strikes so all is well, no damage... and also the tire blowing out I truely dont believe was either of our fault, so thus not his mistake either.

OH... PS I do know when the guys are riding the brakes, I announce "heels to the floorboard" before adding full power for takeoff and mention it occasionally to remind them during landings.
 
The good news is, it is over. Bad things always happen in 3's. Tail strikes are almost always a non issue. you have to whack it really really hard to do any damage. I am actually more worried about a student jamming the nosewheel into the runway after a tailstrike.

Tires happen. bummer. These things are a part of instructing. Your CP knows this, that is why he isn't on your case.

I had a student cut the fuel selector off on me once during an emg. procedure (yeah, you know who you are!)
 
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