History of Flight
On 1 November 2023, a Cessna 172N (registration 4R-FSA, MSN 17268555) operated by Fly Southern (Pvt) Ltd conducted a training flight from Colombo International Airport Ratmalana. The aircraft was released with nil defects and was in satisfactory and airworthy condition. The pilot in command was a student pilot on his first solo flight. Earlier that day, the student completed two dual flights with an instructor, totaling eight and three landings respectively. The instructor authorized the solo flight. After obtaining taxi and takeoff clearances from ATC, the aircraft took off at 1114 LT for a circuit. The student made a safe touchdown on the centerline of runway 22 at approximately 1120 LT. During the landing roll, the student felt the aircraft yaw left and applied right rudder and brakes. The aircraft veered right, exited the runway, and came to rest 33.43 meters from the runway edge on the right grass patch.
Aircraft and Personnel Information
The aircraft had no defects reported in the previous six months. The student pilot had accumulated 17.4 hours of dual flying training prior to the incident and had not flown for five days before the flight.
Findings and Probable Cause
The investigation found that the student pilot attempted to correct yaw with rudder and brakes but the aircraft veered off. The probable cause was the student pilot's inability to maintain directional control during the landing roll due to insufficient crosswind handling skills.