Incident Overview
A student pilot reported that during the landing roll of a touch-and-go maneuver, the airplane was off the centerline. He added right rudder but stated that he "overcompensated." The flight instructor observed the airplane drifting to the right and approaching the runway edge. The instructor then pushed in the throttle, applied left rudder, and pulled back on the yoke to initiate a climb.
Post-Incident Actions
The student pilot reported hearing a "slight bang" as the airplane became airborne, and suspected that the landing gear had struck a runway light. The flight instructor conducted a full-stop landing to examine the landing gear, but no damage was noted at that time.
Damage Discovery
During a postflight inspection at their home airport, it was revealed that the left horizontal stabilizer had sustained substantial damage.
Mechanical Condition
The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.