Accident Details
A student pilot with 8 hours of flight experience lost control of a tricycle-gear, single-engine airplane during the takeoff roll on his first solo flight. The incident occurred on runway 17 at an airport with a 5,999-foot long, 150-foot wide asphalt runway, which was reported to be dry at the time. During the takeoff roll, the airplane drifted off the east side of the runway onto the grass for approximately 600 to 800 feet. Upon crossing taxiway Alpha 4, the nose landing gear collapsed after impacting the lip of the taxiway.
Witness Reports
Witnesses at the airport reported that prior to the first solo flight, the student pilot and his flight instructor had completed seven touch-and-go landings without incident. The flight instructor had exited the 2004 model airplane and endorsed the student pilot's logbook for the supervised solo flight.
Investigation Findings
An FAA inspector who traveled to the accident site reported no evidence of braking on the runway surface. Additionally, no anomalies were found with the aircraft's nose wheel steering or braking system. The instructional flight had originated from another airport located 23 nautical miles southeast of the mishap airport. Weather at the time of the incident was clear skies with winds from 120 degrees at 4 knots.