What happened
The accident occurred while a student pilot was conducting flight training maneuvers involving repeated touch-and-go landings. The pilot was attempting to land on runway 18 when the aircraft made contact with the pavement. Immediately upon touchdown, the airplane encountered a sudden gust of wind that disrupted its stability.
According to the pilot's account, environmental conditions had changed significantly during the training session. During an earlier touch-and-go landing just prior to this event, the wind was reported as calm. However, by the time of the accident, the wind speed had increased to eight knots with gusts reaching twelve knots. This shift in weather conditions caused the student pilot to lose directional control of the airplane while it was still on the ground.
The investigation
The physical examination of the aircraft confirmed that damage resulted from the loss of directional control during the landing roll. No mechanical failures or pre-existing defects were cited as contributing factors. The primary issue identified was the pilot's inability to maintain runway alignment under the changing wind conditions.
Findings
The accident was caused by the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during a touch-and-go landing. Contributing to this error was the gusty wind that developed after initial calm conditions, which challenged the pilot's ability to keep the aircraft centered on the runway.