SOLO XCOUNTRY STUDENT PLT SUFFERS LOSS OF ACFT CTLR DURING LNDG PROC ROLLOUT. RWY EXCURSION. UNAUTH SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT.

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ON FEB/XX/95 A STUDENT OF MINE SET OUT ON A SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT TO AN ARPT IN NY; APPROX 65 NM FROM HIS HOME ARPT. DUE TO STRONG SURFACE WINDS; THE CESSNA 172 WAS BLOWN OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY; WHERE IT COLLIDED WITH A SNOW BANK. THE STUDENT WAS NOT INJURED IN ANY WAY; AND THE AIRPLANE SUFFERED NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE THE ENG WILL HAVE TO BE INSPECTED HOWEVER; DUE TO SUDDEN STOPPAGE. SHORTLY AFTER THE INCIDENT; IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE STUDENT DID NOT HAVE A VALID SOLO XCOUNTRY SIGN OFF. I AM HIS INSTRUCTOR. WE HAD TAKEN A DUAL XCOUNTRY FLT TO THIS ARPT ABOUT 2 WKS PREVIOUS TO THE INCIDENT. I HAD SIGNED HIM OFF TO RETURN SOLO TO THAT ARPT FOR THE SAME DAY AS THE DUAL TRIP. IN MY HASTE; I FORGOT TO DATE THE SIGN OFF. THE STUDENT NEVER WENT THAT DAY; FOR PERSONAL REASONS. 2 WKS LATER; ON FEB/XX/95. I WAS OUT OF THE STATE WITH A PERSONAL EMER. THE STUDENT; STILL THINKING HE WAS OK TO GO ON HIS SOLO XCOUNTRY; SET OUT; WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. THE SURFACE WINDS WERE FORECAST TO BE GUSTY THAT DAY. WHEN THE STUDENT LANDED; AWOS WAS RPTING THE WIND BLOWING 90 DEGS TO THE RWY AT 15 KTS; GUSTING TO 25 KTS. THE STUDENT WAS UNABLE TO HANDLE THE XWIND; AND WAS BLOWN OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY INTO A SNOW BANK. I WOULD NEVER HAD ALLOWED THE STUDENT TO FLY WITH THE CONDITIONS AS THEY WERE. UNFORTUNATELY; I DID NOT KNOW. THE STUDENT HAD DECIDED TO SOLO. THE BIG MISTAKE ON MY PART WAS NOT DATING THE SOLO XCOUNTRY SIGN OFF THAT I PLACED IN THE STUDENT'S LOGBOOK 2 WKS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT; WHEN I THOUGHT THE STUDENT WAS GOING TO SOLO. MY NOT DATING THE STUDENTS LOGBOOK SIGN OFF MAY BE INTERP AS AN OPEN SIGN OFF TO GO ANY TIME; INCLUDING DURING ADVERSE CONDITIONS; SUCH AS THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT. I CERTAINLY DID NOT INTEND TO DO THIS; HOWEVER; MY OVERSIGHT WITH THE LOGBOOK ENDORSEMENT MAY BE INTERP THAT WAY. THIS INCIDENT HAS SHOWN THAT ONE MUST BE CAREFUL IN SIGNING OFF A STUDENT; AND THAT THE STUDENT MUST CLRLY UNDERSTAND THE LIMITATIONS AND DURATION OF A SIGN OFF. THE STUDENT WILL BE RETRAINED IN XWIND LNDGS; AND WX BRIEFING INTERP AND GO-NO-GO WX FACTORS.