What happened
The incident occurred during a solo training flight at Youngstown, Ohio. The student pilot was conducting practice touch-and-go landings as part of his initial solo experience. After completing one successful touch-and-go maneuver, he initiated a second landing on runway 08. During the rollout, the aircraft experienced a bounce upon touchdown. In response, the pilot applied additional power to maintain lift and continue the takeoff roll. However, the aircraft began to veer toward the right side of the runway.
As the plane left the paved surface, it became airborne again but failed to gain sufficient altitude or airspeed. It crossed over a nearby ditch before stalling. The stall resulted in the right wing striking the ground, causing significant damage to the aircraft (registration details omitted as not explicitly provided in source text for verification). Weather conditions at the time of the incident, recorded at 1050 EDT, showed winds from 120 degrees at 7 knots.
The investigation
Investigation of the event focused on the pilot's actions during the critical phase of the second landing. The sequence of events indicated that the bounce was followed by an inappropriate power application and loss of directional control. The aircraft's departure from the runway environment and subsequent stall were direct consequences of these actions.
Findings
Contributing factors to this accident included the pilot's lack of experience, as it was his first solo flight. The decision to apply power immediately after a bounce without correcting airspeed or direction led to the loss of control. The stall at low altitude prevented recovery before impact with the ground and ditch.
Safety message
Student pilots should be aware that bouncing during landing can lead to loss of control if not managed correctly. Proper technique involves maintaining directional control and allowing the aircraft to settle or aborting the landing rather than attempting to fly out of a bounce without adequate airspeed.