Background
The airplane involved was operated by a flight school. The student pilot had accumulated 15 hours of dual instructional flight time and had just been signed off for his first solo flight. The operator reported that the student made a normal takeoff and landing initially.
Accident Sequence
After a subsequent takeoff and flight around the traffic pattern, the airplane landed. During the landing roll, it veered hard to the left, departed the runway, and struck a ditch. The operator's report noted the veer-off and collision with the ditch.
Student's Account
In a letter dated 12 August 2008, the student pilot stated that the operator's report did not reflect his claim made at the time of the accident. He asserted that a failure in the right rudder caused the loss of directional control. According to his letter, after the airplane began veering left, he pushed his right foot on the rudder pedal, but the airplane failed to respond, continuing left until it crashed into a ditch a few feet from the runway.
The student also noted that the airplane had experienced right rudder problems at least five days prior to the accident. He recounted that on 8 May 2007, during a training flight with his instructor, they had to execute an emergency landing because the right rudder was not responding in the air. He further claimed that earlier that same week, another student and instructor experienced similar rudder issues. Due to these two events, the operator's maintenance department inspected the airplane.
Maintenance Records
A copy of an airframe maintenance record dated 10 May 2007 stated: "Checked rudder system and cable tensions per Cessna service manual no defects noted. Removed all floor panels and no obstructions noted." The maintenance action was taken in response to the reported rudder discrepancies, but no faults were found.
The investigation did not determine a probable cause for the loss of directional control.