Incident Details
A student pilot was conducting a short field takeoff. Upon entering the runway, the pilot advanced the throttle and pulled back on the control wheel to lift the nose wheel off the ground. The aircraft was not initially aligned with the runway centerline, causing it to veer left. The pilot applied right rudder to correct, but the airplane then swerved excessively to the right. The pilot then applied left rudder, resulting in the aircraft continuing left and departing the left side of the runway while in a nose-high attitude.
Sequence of Events
After the aircraft left the runway surface, the pilot closed the throttle. The airplane continued forward, angling further away from the runway, and struck a drainage ditch. It traversed the ditch and came to rest on the opposite side. The impact caused the nose landing gear to collapse. No other damage or injuries are specified in the source.