What happened
The incident occurred while a student pilot was conducting his second supervised solo flight within the traffic pattern. During the landing phase, the aircraft touched down on the runway. Immediately following touchdown, the pilot initiated a go-around procedure by adding power.
As power was applied, the airplane yawed to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the deviation but was unable to regain directional control before the aircraft departed the paved surface on the left side. Upon leaving the runway, the pilot closed the throttle. The airplane then descended and struck a drainage ditch located adjacent to the runway.
The investigation
Examination of the aircraft revealed that it sustained substantial damage as a result of the impact with the drainage ditch. The specific mechanical failures were limited to those caused by the collision with the terrain feature.
Findings
The primary factor in this event was the loss of directional control during the ground roll. The pilot's inability to maintain runway alignment after adding power led directly to the departure from the paved surface and the subsequent impact with the drainage ditch.