Date: 201910
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Weather elements / visibility: 10
Aircraft: SR22
Operator: Personal
Operating under: Part 91
Mission: Training
Flight phase: Landing
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Aircraft component: Propeller
Component problem: Improperly Operated
Reporter organization: FBO
Reporter function: Instructor
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Human factors: Training / Qualification
Anomaly: Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control
Detector: Person Maintenance
When detected: Aircraft In Service At Gate
Result: Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: The purpose of this report is to describe the event of a prop strike. The incident occurred while a student pilot was flying a long solo cross country. This report is being told from the perspective of the student's flight instructor. About a week ago I endorsed my student to take his long solo cross country flight. The route would be ZZZ1 to ZZZ2 to ZZZ to ZZZ3 with a full stop at ZZZ3. After the stop at ZZZ3 the student would return back to ZZZ1. On the leg coming back to ZZZ1; it would most likely be dark; however; I had endorsed my student for solo night flight a few days prior as long as the route was to ZZZ1 since that is where we had done most of our dual night training. As for the weather; it was within the student pilot's limitations for the entire route of flight. My first hearing of the strike was from an email my student forwarded to me from a mechanic that was to do work on a cracked wheel pant. Included in the email was the mentioning of how the prop needed to be looked at as well. This struck me as odd--I knew about the wheel pant; but what is this about a prop? I asked my student if he recalled a prop strike and he did not. My first seeing of the prop was a text sent from a fellow instructor. From the picture; it was obvious all three blades were bent. I asked my student again if he recalled the prop strike. Surely he would have noticed/felt something that would have caused the prop tips to be bent nearly 3 inches backwards. My assumption was that it happened landing back at ZZZ1 in the dark. My thought was that he was coming in fast; too fast; and porpoised the aircraft attempting to land. After the strike during one of the oscillations; he taxied of the runway; parked the plane; and went home. The idea being that he never noticed the prop. He told me he did remember a landing being rough; but not at ZZZ1; at ZZZ. He was cleared to land behind another plane and did feel like he was coming in a little fast. He recalled he actually bounced the landing pretty significantly. We can only assume that was when it happened; because his landing at ZZZ1 he claimed was pretty smooth. But wait a minute; ZZZ was in the middle of the entire flight. How could he have had the prop strike; not feel it; and then fly all the way back to ZZZ1 with still no noticing of the bent prop tips? The answer is 'I really have no idea'. Honestly; because I have never had a prop strike myself; I would not know precisely how it would feel. I could only imagine it would not fly very well. Where do we go from here? My plan is to meet with my student and go over a few things. First; is that need not worry about reporting the incident to the FAA or NTSB because a prop strike is not considered 'substantial damage'. Second; will be a review of the NTSB sections of the FAR/AIM. Lastly; (after the plane is brought back to an airworthy condition) some remedial training on 'landing without prop striking' will take place. I do hope that this incident serves as a major teaching moment for both my student and myself. We are lucky that nobody was hurt from this prop strike. I plan to use this in instructing my other students on the dangers of significantly hard landings and how to avoid them.




Synopsis: Cirrus SR22 Flight Instructor reported solo student 'porpoised' the aircraft on landing resulting in a prop strike.