Incident Overview
A student pilot was conducting his second solo flight during evening hours. According to reports, after completing four landings, dusk was approaching. The instructor directed the student to perform only two more landings.
Sequence of Events
As the student was preparing for takeoff on his sixth traffic pattern, a King Air announced a straight-in approach. By the time the King Air landed and the student took off, dusk had set in and darkness was nearing. During the final landing, the aircraft bounced upon touchdown. On the second touchdown, the aircraft veered off the left side of the runway, entered the grass, and then nosed over.
Instructor's Assessment
The instructor, who was monitoring the flight, believed that the approaching darkness contributed to the mishap.