What happened
The incident involved a tailwheel-equipped airplane operated by a student pilot who was conducting practice maneuvers. The specific objective of the flight was to perform touch-and-go landings. During one such attempt, the aircraft touched down on a section of the runway that featured significant ruts and uneven surface conditions.
Immediately following touchdown, the pilot applied full power to initiate the takeoff roll. As the airplane accelerated, it began to drift toward the left side of the runway. The pilot responded by applying full right rudder input in an attempt to correct the yaw and maintain alignment with the runway centerline. However, this control input proved ineffective against the directional instability.
Recognizing that the aircraft could not be kept on the paved surface, the student pilot aborted the takeoff. Despite these efforts, the airplane continued to swerve sharply to the left, leaving the runway pavement. The aircraft then collided with a berm located along the left side of the runway. At the time of the incident, the student pilot had accumulated 27 hours of total flight instruction.
The investigation
The examination focused on the operational sequence and the environmental conditions at the site of the accident. Investigators noted the poor condition of the runway surface, specifically the presence of ruts that likely contributed to the loss of directional control during the high-power phase of the maneuver.