Incident Overview
A solo student pilot was conducting a touch and go landing when, during the landing roll, the airplane began to veer off the runway. The pilot added power to execute a go-around and informed the tower controller of the maneuver. Upon climbing, the pilot observed that the left landing gear strut was bent and the tire was missing. The pilot told the controller that he must have hit something and was instructed to perform a flyby of the tower. After the flyby, the tower controller confirmed damage to the left landing gear and cleared the pilot to land. The pilot landed, but during the landing roll, the airplane skidded off the runway.
Damage
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer and left elevator.
Pilot Report
The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Weather Conditions
The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 7 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 320° at 8 knots. The student pilot was landing the airplane on runway 21.
Examination of Security Videos
Examination of security videos revealed that, during the first landing and go-around, the airplane drifted to the left and the left main landing gear struck a runway sign.