Incident Overview
A student pilot was conducting touch-and-go takeoffs and landings during a practice session. The first two touch-and-go landings were completed without any noted discrepancies. On the third landing, after engaging carburetor heat, applying full throttle, and raising the flaps, the pilot observed that the aircraft was positioned to the right of the runway centerline.
Instead of using the rudder pedals to correct the alignment, the pilot attempted to steer the airplane back to the centerline by applying lateral control yoke input, likening it to steering a car. This action caused the aircraft to depart the runway surface. The right wing subsequently struck bushes, and the airplane spun around before coming to a stop.
Pilot Experience and Aircraft Condition
The pilot reported having a total of 30 hours of flight time in all aircraft. No discrepancies with either the airframe or the engine were noted by the pilot following the incident. The specific aircraft type, registration, and other operational details were not provided in the source material.
Sequence of Events
The events unfolded during the third touch-and-go landing of the session. The pilot had completed the landing flare and was in the process of transitioning to takeoff power when the deviation from centerline was noticed. The improper control input resulted in a loss of directional control, leading to the runway excursion and subsequent ground contact with vegetation.
The aircraft came to a stop after the spin, and no further movement was reported. The absence of any mention of injuries or fatalities in the source indicates that the pilot was likely uninjured, though this is not explicitly stated.