What happened
On June 8, 2003, at approximately 08:20 UTC, a Socata TB 9, registration I-IAEP, was performing a solo training flight from Catania Fontanarossa Airport. The aircraft, operated by the Aero Club di Catania, was being piloted by a student pilot with approximately 28 hours of total flight time.
After a flight duration of roughly 37 minutes, the pilot attempted to land on runway 08. Upon touchdown, the aircraft began to deviate from the centerline, oscillating left and right before exiting the runway near taxiway "C". The aircraft came to a stop on the grass approximately two meters from the right edge of the runway at an angle of about 30 degrees relative to the runway axis. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's mechanical condition and the pilot's flight history. The aircraft sustained only minor damage, specifically a slight deformation to the front bracket of the left wheel fairing support (the fairing itself was not installed at the time). Post-incident inspections of the braking system, rudder pedals, and engine controls revealed no malfunctions. A subsequent structural inspection for heavy landing damage found no permanent deformations to the airframe.
Witness testimony from another pilot indicated that the aircraft began yawing rapidly from left to right immediately after landing, eventually sliding onto the grass. The investigation also noted that this was only the student pilot's second solo flight mission, with the previous solo flight occurring two months prior.