Incident Details
A student pilot on a solo flight experienced a loss of control during the landing roll after touching down in crosswind conditions. The incident occurred during the pilot's seventh solo landing of the day. According to the pilot, after the airplane landed, "the wind switched from a crosswind to a tail wind and back" to crosswind. The airplane subsequently departed the runway, and the nose gear collapsed upon entering soft terrain. The propeller struck the ground.
Investigation Findings
An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration examined the airplane and found structural damage to the engine firewall. The winds at the time of the accident were reported as a 90-degree crosswind to the active runway at 8 knots.
Pilot Report
The pilot, who had logged 28 hours of solo flight time, stated that the wind direction changed during the landing roll, contributing to the loss of control. No further details regarding the pilot's actions or the aircraft's configuration were provided.