Student Pilot Loses Control During Touch-and-Go After Rudder Pedal Malfunction (N848SP)

Incident Overview and Pilot Report During a touch-and-go training exercise, a student pilot reported that the right rudder pedal began to stick after the fourth landing. The pilot stated that the jammed pedal caused a sharp turn to the right. Unable to free the pedal, the pilot applied left rudder to compensate. The pilot reported losing control of the aircraft while using the right rudder to center the airplane. The pilot then reduced power and applied the brakes. The aircraft subsequently veered left off the runway, struck a runway sign, and entered a skid before coming to a complete stop. The aircraft sustained substantial damage in the incident. The student pilot had a total of 28 flight hours, including one hour of pilot-in-command time. An inspection of the aircraft revealed no preexisting mechanical defects.