What happened
During a routine training exercise involving touch-and-go landings, a solo student pilot was conducting approach and landing maneuvers. While the aircraft was on the ground during the landing roll, it began to drift toward one side of the runway. In an attempt to correct the deviation, the pilot applied opposite rudder input, which resulted in overcorrection.
Recognizing the need to avoid a potential collision or further loss of control, the pilot decided to abort the landing. Full power was applied to the engine to initiate a go-around procedure. However, during this critical phase, the pilot realized that the flaps were fully extended. The pilot then raised the flaps to reduce drag and improve climb performance.
Despite these corrective actions, the aircraft departed the side of the runway. It encountered rough terrain immediately adjacent to the paved surface, which caused the nose gear to collapse and the aircraft to nosed over.
The investigation
The physical examination of the aircraft revealed damage consistent with a ground loop or loss of directional control during the landing roll. The sequence of events indicated that the initial drift was followed by excessive steering input in the opposite direction. The application of full power while the flaps were still extended likely contributed to the asymmetric thrust and handling characteristics that exacerbated the loss of control.
Findings
The primary factors leading to this incident were the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll and the subsequent overcorrection. The decision to abort the landing was appropriate, but the execution was compromised by the configuration of the aircraft (flaps extended) and the rough terrain conditions off the runway edge. The student pilot's lack of experience in managing cross-control inputs and power settings during a go-around from a low altitude played a significant role in the outcome.