What happened
On 19 March 2001, a Piper PA-28-161, registration G-BFMG, was engaged in a training flight at Firoaks Airport, Surrey. The pilot, a student with 17 total flying hours, had been performing a series of circuits with an instructor to consolidate skills following their first solo flight. After completing several supervised circuits, the student was permitted to perform a small number of solo circuits.
During the solo session, the student successfully completed an initial landing, though noted it was positioned to the left of the runway centerline. While attempting to execute a 'touch-and-go' by applying power and left rudder to correct the course, the aircraft began to oscillate laterally along the runway. In an attempt to regain control, the pilot closed the throttle and aborted the takeoff. However, the aircraft could not be kept on the runway and veered off to the left side. As the aircraft moved onto the grass, the nose landing gear sank into soft terrain, causing the aircraft to tip forward. The incident resulted in no injuries to the pilot, but caused damage to the propeller and the port wing, including the wing spar near the fuselage.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the flight instructor. Investigators examined the sequence of maneuvers performed by the student pilot and the environmental conditions of the airfield. The investigation established that the student was attempting to maintain the centerline during a high-workload phase of flight following a slightly off-center landing.