What happened
The accident occurred during the landing phase of flight. According to the student pilot's statement, the aircraft bounced back into the air upon initial touchdown. During the second attempt to touch down, the aircraft swerved to the left and departed the runway surface. It continued to roll until the left wing struck a small tree, resulting in substantial damage to that wing.
The landing runway heading was recorded as 040 degrees. Weather conditions at the time included winds from 340 degrees at 10 knots with slight gusts. The pilot also noted that light turbulence was present in the traffic pattern during the accident sequence.
The investigation
No mechanical examination or post-accident inspection details were provided in the source material regarding the aircraft's condition prior to the event.
Findings
Contributing factors included the student pilot's handling of the bounced landing and the presence of light turbulence in the traffic pattern. The wind conditions, while relatively light, may have influenced the aircraft's stability during the critical touchdown phase.