Accident Sequence
During a takeoff roll, the aircraft ground looped off the runway. The solo student pilot reported that he encountered nosewheel shimmy while accelerating. To counteract the shimmy, he raised the nose, which temporarily stopped the vibration. He then looked at his airspeed indicator. Around that time, the aircraft weathervaned to the left. It ran off the side of the runway and struck a Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI) system.
Pre-existing Condition
It was known prior to the flight that the aircraft had a shimmy problem. The student was aware of this issue before the takeoff.
Post-Accident Findings
Following the accident, maintenance personnel attempted to duplicate the nosewheel shimmy but were unsuccessful. The reason the shimmy occurred during this particular takeoff could not be determined.