Incident Overview
A student pilot, conducting his first solo flight in the traffic pattern, experienced a runway excursion during a landing attempt. The pilot reported that he aborted the first landing because he was uncomfortable with the airplane's alignment relative to the runway.
Approach and Touchdown
On the subsequent approach, the airplane was crabbed slightly to the right. The pilot recalled that just before touchdown, he applied left rudder input. Following this input, the airplane bounced and subsequently exited the left side of the runway. The airplane then collided with a drainage culvert and nosed over.
Weather and Mechanical Condition
The student pilot reported that the wind at the time of the accident was calm. He also stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Damage
The accident resulted in substantial damage to the empennage of the airplane.