Incident Overview
A student pilot conducting her initial solo flight experienced a runway excursion after a hard landing during her third approach. The student had already completed two landings earlier in the flight. Following a short briefing from her instructor, she took off for a third landing.
Sequence of Events
As the student approached the runway touchdown zone, a grass-mowing vehicle was mowing along the approach end of the runway. The instructor (CFI) reported that the mower was circling the runway lights as it mowed. The student stated that the mower's close proximity to the runway disturbed her, causing her to pull up. Subsequently, the aircraft landed hard, bounced, then swerved off the runway and was damaged.
Observations
The presence of the mowing vehicle near the runway was noted by both the instructor and the student. The student's distraction during the critical phase of landing led to an abnormal approach and touchdown.
Outcome
The aircraft sustained damage as a result of the hard landing and subsequent swerve off the runway. No injuries were reported in the source. The incident occurred during a solo training flight under the supervision of a certified flight instructor.