What happened
The aircraft was engaged in a traffic pattern exercise involving touch-and-go landings. The operational environment included significant winter conditions, with snow banks covering 17 feet on each side of the runway. The runway itself had a width of 75 feet.
During one of the maneuvers, specifically while executing a go-around, the aircraft drifted to the left. This deviation caused the aircraft to exit the paved surface and collide with the snow bank located off the left side of the runway.
The investigation
Post-incident analysis included statements from the Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) on board. The CFI confirmed that the aircraft drifted to the left during the go-around phase, resulting in the departure from the runway environment and subsequent impact with the snow bank.