What happened
The incident occurred prior to lift-off from Runway 35. The pilot, identified as a student with approximately 20 hours of flight time, reported losing directional control of the aircraft as it began a left turn. In an attempt to correct the deviation, the pilot applied right rudder input.
Despite these efforts, the aircraft continued its left-hand turn off the runway and entered a grassy area. To mitigate potential damage or injury from a rollover, the pilot pulled out the mixture control to reduce power and focused on stabilizing the aircraft's attitude during the ground contact.
The investigation
Investigation findings indicated that environmental conditions were minimal at the time of the event. Wind reports confirmed a speed of 7 knots from 030 degrees, which was not considered a significant contributing factor to the loss of directional control.