Flight Background
A 40-hour student pilot was preparing for a first solo flight. A flight instructor supervised four touch-and-go landings. The instructor received a report from the control tower indicating winds from 40 degrees left of the runway heading at 7 knots. Based on that information, the instructor authorized the student to conduct a solo flight consisting of three full-stop taxi-back landings.
Accident Sequence
The student pilot performed a touch-and-go landing and re-entered the traffic pattern. During the second landing attempt on Runway 17, tower personnel observed the airplane bounce, porpoise, and make contact with the runway using the propeller. The aircraft then departed the runway near the midfield point.
In a statement to the NTSB, the student pilot appeared confused about why the airplane exhibited a left turning tendency during takeoff and a drift throughout the traffic pattern. While on final approach, the student reported making an aileron input to compensate for the crosswind. The student struggled to maintain directional control before the airplane left the 100-foot-wide runway and came to rest in the grass.
Post-Accident Findings
An inspection of the aircraft revealed structural damage to the firewall. No mechanical malfunction or failure was reported. The flight instructor did not witness either of the student's landings but noted that the earliest landings were "good." At the time of the accident, the tower reported winds from 50 degrees left of the runway heading at 8 knots.