What happens to a CFI after an "incident" they were a part of?

Jeff Szlauko

Jeff Szlauko

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ChopperJeff
Yesterday, at the airport I train at, a Cessna 172 went off the runway after a bounced landing, collapsing the front landing gear. There were two people onboard, with no injuries.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/05/no-one-injured-in-livermore-airplane-crash/

A later article said it was an instructor and a student. The plane in this incident was the same one I trained in last year, up until I switched schools and instructor, which makes it all rather "weird".

I downloaded and listened to the tower communication, and it appears they were doing touch & goes, and had done about three prior to this landing. Anyways, just got me thinking "what happens to a CFI after something like this?"

Just curious.
 
I'd guess a 709 ride with the Feds and a awkward answer to the "accidents or incidents" question.
 
Was thinking though that accidents do happen, and even a CFI is only human. That said though, assuming there's no unforeseen mechanical issue, I would also think that the CFI should be aware of what's going on at all times, and in this case, be able to take the required actions for a bounced landing.
 
Local CFI with a new student went off the edge of the taxiway and hit a light. Minor damage to the plane.
They filled out the NASA form, answered a few questions, and that was all.
 
Might get a phone call from the FSDO. Might get fired from the flight school. CFI may have to pay some towards the repairs, depending on insurance coverage.
 
I'd also guess the airport has something to do with it, if this was at a sleepy uncontrolled field much less likely to have something come of it compared to a busy towered airport, especially if he shut down a runway or the airport
 
This occurred at KLVK, which has a control tower. This flight was talking to the tower prior to the incident, getting numerous "cleared for the option" instructions. Guess he chose the wrong option.
 
I knew 2 instructors that had similar incidents with students. One plane ended up on its back.

Both of those instructors went on to airlines, where I lost touch with them.

I seem to remember that the chief pilot of the school had them fill out some report, (maybe NASA form?), and they were back in the air the next day.
 
I just hope all works out for the CFI. They have good people at that flight school, and if it's the CFI that I'm thinking of, as the one guy in the photo appears to be him, he's a great guy, and I really enjoyed the lessons with him (he was my substitute instructor).
 
Zeldman said:
I knew 2 instructors that had similar incidents with students. One plane ended up on its back.

Both of those instructors went on to airlines, where I lost touch with them.
Click to expand...

I had a student end up on his back in a 172, his and a partner's plane. Totaled. I reported it I guess to the FSDO and/NTSB, maybe both, many years ago. Never heard from anyone, and I went on to an airline too. :D
 
One of our instructors lost directional control of our Super Decathlon a year or two ago and went off the right side of the runway, nosing it over and causing a prop strike. Engine of course had to be torn down and rebuilt, but that's what insurance is for, as mistakes do happen, unfortunately.

Honestly, if all it did was collapse the front landing gear and the two people onboard were unharmed, than the NTSB doesn't have to be notified as that doesn't classify it as 'substantial damage.'

The instructor might get his pee-pee slapped by the chief pilot at the flight school and that will be the end of it, if I were to guess.
 
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He'll at least be looked at. Beyond that...

Although many like a nice black and white rule, the truth is, it depends. A good illustration is FAA v Stroebel an application of a 1977 case (FAA v Hambre) which stated two principles:

1. A CFI is always held to the standards of a PIC during an instructional flight;
2. #1 does not mean a CFI will be held responsible for every mishap.

Those were applied to the landing accident in Stroebel. It was a landing accident. The CFI denied it was an instructional flight. The NTSB found it was an instructional flight and, based on principle #1, found the CFI to be PIC. But it also found him to not be careless or reckless and dismissed the violation.
 
LOL.. They always randomly tip forward

A small private airplane sustained minor damage when it ran off the runway and tipped forward onto its nose after landing.
 
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