Incident Overview
A student pilot conducting a supervised cross-country solo flight encountered turbulence, prompting a decision to abort the planned route and land at an alternate airport. During the approach to the intended landing point, the aircraft again experienced turbulence that made control difficult. Just before crossing the runway threshold, the pilot lost control, and the aircraft impacted the ground 7 feet short of the runway.
Sequence of Events
The flight had been cleared for a solo cross-country operation under supervision. While en route, the pilot encountered turbulent conditions and decided to abandon the cross-country portion, electing instead to land at another airport. As the pilot maneuvered for approach to that airport, turbulence once more affected the aircraft, rendering control challenging. In the final moments of the approach, immediately prior to reaching the runway threshold, the pilot lost control. The aircraft subsequently struck the ground short of the runway, specifically 7 feet before the threshold.
Contributing Factors
The investigation did not identify any specific contributing factors or causal links beyond the described events. No determination of cause was provided in the source material.