Cirrus SR20 Prop Strike

A really BAD day! I hesitated to post this video because it is embarrasing and humbling, but if anyone can learn from my mistake then it is worth it. I was flying my first solo cross-country on student pilot certificate.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Cirrus
• SR20
• prop
• strike
• student
• bad
• landing
• bounce

[skysnet]

was that a good decision to go around after the prop stroke the ground? arent you worried about not getting airborne? obviously i wasnt there but even if you went out the side of runway, it seemed like grass, i'd prefer that to having the engine quit or prop fall off mid-air.

[CirrusSR20Pilot]

@skysnet I didn't know the prop struck until after landing....but you're right, it could have been ugly!

[fabioflies]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Nothing to be ashamed of. You are still learning... Your video will help my students to believe me now. I keep telling my students not to land flat like you did, because this is how you can get a prop strike in the Cirrus. They also don´t believe me that you need right foot on a go a round. Your video clearly shows the P factor deviating you to the left. If you were in a SR22 things could have got very ugly with loss of control on the go around.

[CirrusSR20Pilot]

@fabioflies Thanks for the kind words. I am glad you can use this video to help show your students what can happen...That was my intent on posting! As students, we simply don't realize how "easy" it is to do this until it happens. Hopefully my mistake will help other students avoid this same fate.

[fholbert]

Shooting video while flying is a distraction. A student pilot needs to fly the airplane and worry about nothing else.

[CirrusSR20Pilot]

@fholbert Connie Sue White (Managing Editor of Flying Magazine) comment on page 20 of Flying (Sept 2010 issue) regarding the Contour HD A/V-ator camera, "It's great for flight review, especially if you are in training - I watch my videos after each of my Sport Pilot lessons and it's amazing how much it helps me retain the instructor's input."

Guess I'm not the only one who thinks so!

[afhenley]

Been there. I had the same thing happen to me during my solo cross country. Keep your chin up, I still managed to finish my private in 50 hours.

[shivrajvishnu]

Nice landing. After touching on mains, hold the back pressure, don't relax the controls, let the nose wheel touch slowly. I did the same thing once :(

[ohio5770]

Thank you for sharing. Must be first solo cross country my landing was a disaster as well came in way too fast panicked hit nosewheel first porpoised down runway didn't go around. Thank God nosewheel held I have no idea how. Didn't see any prop damage so went back to my home airport and just when I decided no more flying ever I grease my home airport landing. Was worried about firewall told my instructor no damage found. C172s are tough!!

[julionica]

Holy crap! this video is unbelievable, thank God everything was ok

[hawker445]

getting PPL in a cirrus??

[w5cdt]

YES! You need a firm right foot on go-around...even more than takeoff it seems.

Been there done that. :-)

[w5cdt]

Been there "almost" done that in my SR20 during my low hours. The SR20 demands a little respect during round out and flare. My takeaway points are:

1. Nail your airspeed 2. Keep your toes LOW on the rudder pedals particularly in crosswinds where you have appreciable rudder pressure applied. The brakes are sensitive and you'll land with a wheel locked if you press on the rudders more than half-way up the pedals. 3. Sight picture will look "flat" even when it's not. 4. Keep the nose up!

[atrain910]

@fholbert what are you thinking of like the 1970's 8mm film? in todays technology we have such things like go pro attached to fixed objects that require no tending or effort from the photographer to require any attention such as your post suggests.... and im gonna guess if this kid is flying a plane, he can afford a 250 dollar video camera

[osumbuckeyenut]

nice save. thanks for posting! These are very educational and there's no shame in it. shit happens!

[C172Pilotdude]

Pointless go around

[dkeberhard]

it looks like the airplane began porpoising (condition in which the airplane bounces back and forth between the main gear and nose wheel and main gear ..) as you touched down. You recognized it immediately and applied the right technique to handle it. In my opinion, you displayed excellent airmanship handling your landing mistake. if the corrective action is delayed... here is a video where the pilot did NOT make the right choice: search "Piper Warrior Crash Landing At Bethlehem Aerodrome"