PA-28 Instructor and student reported a runway excursion while landing on a training flight when the student lined up off center line and veered off the runway. The Instructor took control; but the aircraft exited onto the grass; struck a taxiway light; stopping on a taxiway with no injuries reported.
Synopsis
PA-28 Instructor and student reported a runway excursion while landing on a training flight when the student lined up off center line and veered off the runway. The Instructor took control; but the aircraft exited onto the grass; struck a taxiway light; stopping on a taxiway with no injuries reported.
Narrative
On Date 0; I had a runway excursion while practicing pattern work at ZZZ. After landing; the aircraft left Runway XX; skirted across a grassy ditch; knocked out a taxiway light; and stopped on taxiway 1.After having done the bulk of my recent training at airports with much wider runways (namely ZZZ1 and ZZZ2); I had grown complacent by thinking I could have salvaged this landing; even if I was going to land to the left of the centerline. However; this complacency; paired with an unexpected 15kt crosswind gust; caused me to fail to keep the plane aligned down the runway or fully brake in time. My CFI intervened when it became clear we were headed towards the grass but failed to keep the aircraft from leaving the runway for the same reasons I failed.Earlier in the landing; I was expecting my CFI to call for a go-around if he judged it to be an unsafe landing before I did. On reflection; however; I had unintentionally set him up to fail. On our prior lap around the pattern that day; I had elected to go-around because of an unstable approach and demonstrated to him that I knew when and how to go-around. That go-around created an expectation on his end that I would choose to make the same call next time. The implicit miscommunication on who would call the go-around led to no go-around being called at all.Another issue was present on the day of the incident; but I'm unsure if it played any factor: the carpeting underneath the rudder pedals in the cabin was loose for the left pilot seat. My CFI and I fixed it before the flight; and while I didn't feel like the carpet impacted my ability to use the rudder pedals during any other stage of flight; there is a possibility that scrambling to keep the plane on the runway just before the excursion could have dislodged the carpeting again and impacted my rudder authority.
Second reporter narrative
Student was not aligned with centerline and not yet parallel. Having seen them resolve this in ground effect previously; I presumed they would again resolve it. However; a strong gust of wind came up near touchdown and exacerbated the problem. I took flight controls just after the wheels touched down; but with minimal rudder authority and not enough time to brake; I prioritized protecting us; the airplane; and the airport signage.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.