On August 2, 1988, a Piper PA-38-112 (registration N26045) operated by Causey Aviation Service, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Reidsville, NC. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing in a crosswind condition. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A student pilot lost directional control while landing in a left crosswind, causing the aircraft to veer off the runway and into a ditch.
What happened
The student pilot reported that during the landing phase of flight, the airplane began to drift toward the left side of the runway. Despite the presence of a crosswind blowing from the left at the time, the pilot was unable to maintain the centerline. Subsequently, the aircraft ran off the left side of the runway and descended into a ditch.
The investigation
An inspection of the runway revealed tire marks originating from the nose gear and the right main landing gear. These marks indicated that the aircraft had drifted significantly to the left before leaving the paved surface. The operator reported these physical evidence findings as part of the initial assessment of the accident site.
Findings
The student pilot had approximately eight hours of solo flight experience at the time of the incident. This limited experience may have contributed to the difficulty in managing the crosswind conditions during the critical landing phase. The loss of directional control resulted in the aircraft leaving the runway environment and sustaining damage upon impact with the ditch.
Probable cause
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing in a crosswind condition.