Accident Overview
On September 24, 2008, at approximately 1900 eastern daylight time, a Flight Design GmbH CTSW light sport airplane, registration N63DH, was substantially damaged during a landing on runway 10 at Delaware Municipal Airport (DLZ) in Delaware, Ohio. The aircraft was operated by a student pilot on a solo instructional flight under 14 CFR Part 91, without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight had departed DLZ around 1845. The student pilot sustained minor injuries.
Student Pilot's Report
The student pilot stated that after touchdown on his second landing of the solo flight, the airplane began to drift from side to side. He attempted to regain directional control, but as the airplane drifted toward the left, the right wing tip contacted the ground. Subsequently, the airplane departed the pavement and nosed down in the grass adjacent to the runway.
Instructor's Account
The student's flight instructor, who witnessed the accident, reported that the second landing initially appeared smooth. However, shortly after touchdown, the airplane drifted to the left. The pilot seemed to recover, but then the nose began to oscillate from side to side, with the oscillations increasing in magnitude. The instructor heard the engine pitch rise and observed the airplane accelerating. The airplane then exited the runway pavement and rolled to the left, with the left wing tip appearing to touch the ground. The instructor noted that the engine pitch increased again, sounding like full power. The airplane yawed left, and the right main landing gear seemed to dig into the ground, causing the right wing tip to strike the ground. Subsequently, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest nose down in the grass. The student pilot exited the aircraft under his own power.