A light aircraft veered off a runway after a student pilot made an attempt to land on only his second solo flight.
The 1970s propeller plane left the landing strip “with significant power applied” amid 10 knot crosswinds at Lee-on-the-Solent airfield.
The 37-year-old pilot was eventually able to bring the Piper Cherokee Warrior to a rest after the nose leg collapsed.
A report into the incident, on July 17, says that despite the pilot applying the right rudder pedal, the aircraft travelled 80metres to the east before it came to a stop.
A probe by the Air Accident Investigation Branch said he student “acknowledged that his inexperience was a probable factor” – but could not account for the aircraft’s failure to respond to his use of the rudder pedal.
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Full Report - See Page 31: http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/AAIB%20Bulletin%2011-2013.pdf
Synopsis:
The student pilot was making a second attempt at landing
in a 10 kt crosswind on his second solo flight. He had
rejected the first landing after having directional control
difficulties on touchdown. He experienced similar
difficulties on his second landing, and was not able to
correct the situation with full rudder pedal. An attempt
at a further go-around was not successful and the aircraft
left the hard runway with significant power applied. The
pilot eventually brought the aircraft to rest after the nose
leg collapsed.