C172 STUDENT PLT LOST CTL DURING LNDG ROLL AND WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY AND STOPPING ACFT WITH NO DAMAGE TO EITHER THE ACFT OR ARPT SIGNS OR LIGHTS.

Date: 2001-07 · Aircraft: Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 · Phase: approach

Anomalies: ground-excursion-runway|inflight-event-encounter-loss-of-aircraft-control|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence

Synopsis

C172 STUDENT PLT LOST CTL DURING LNDG ROLL AND WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY AND STOPPING ACFT WITH NO DAMAGE TO EITHER THE ACFT OR ARPT SIGNS OR LIGHTS.

Narrative

HOW THE PROB AROSE: AS A STUDENT PLT; I WAS PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GOES; SOMETIMES LNDG WITH EXCESSIVE SPD (65-70 KTS) AS THE WINDS WERE GUSTY AND VARIABLE. THE WINDSOCK AT THE APCH END OF RWY 29 WAS INDICATING WINDS FROM 110 DEGS; AND AT THE DEP END; 320 DEGS; WITH WIND SPDS OF 10-12 KTS. WHEN THE WHEELS TOUCHED THE RWY; THEY WERE NOT ALIGNED PARALLEL TO THE CTRLINE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: HOT DAY; VARIABLE WIND; PLT FATIGUE. HOW IS WAS DISCOVERED: SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN; THE PLANE VEERED TO THE R. I ATTEMPTED TO CTL THE DIRECTION USING AILERONS RATHER THAN RUDDER; RAN OFF THE RWY AND THROUGH A PATCH OF WEEDS BTWN 2 TXWYS ON THE E SIDE OF RWY 29. THE PLANE WAS NOT DAMAGED. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: I APPLIED BRAKES AND STEERED BTWN SIGNAGE AND RWY AND TXWY LIGHTING. IN THE FUTURE I WILL USE RUDDER CTL TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL OF THE ACFT ON THE GND. PERCEPTIONS; JUDGEMENTS; DECISIONS: I DID NOT AUTOMATICALLY USE RUDDER CTL TO CORRECT THE DRIFT AND TO ALIGN THE LNDG ACFT WITH THE CTRLINE. AFTER THE PLANE STARTED TO VEER R; I MISTAKENLY BELIEVED THAT I COULD BRING THE PLANE TO A FULL STOP BEFORE LEAVING THE RWY; BUT LIFT AND MOMENTUM WERE TOO GREAT; AND I AUTOMATICALLY TURNED THE YOKE RATHER THAN PRESSING ON THE RUDDER PEDALS. FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE. I HAD SLEPT POORLY THE NIGHT BEFORE AND HAD DRIVEN 234 MI TO THE ARPT; LEAVING HOME AT XA00. I ALSO FELT STRESSED; DISTR BY THE HIGH TEMPS AT THE ARPT AND IN THE ACFT; AND HAD NOT FLOWN SOLO SINCE MY 'BIG XCOUNTRY' FLT ON APR/XA/01. ACTIONS OR INACTIONS: CLRLY I REVERTED TO 'DRIVING THE CAR' WITH AILERONS AS I FELT THE PLANE VEERING R. I FAILED TO MAKE CORRECTIVE RUDDER CTL ACTIONS TO KEEP THE PLANE ON THE RWY. A MORE CONSISTENT WKLY FLYING SCHEDULE AND ATTN TO RUDDER CTL ON THE GND; PLUS A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY HELP TO PREVENT RECURRENCE OF SUCH AN INCIDENT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG; I DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT WITH MY FLT INSTRUCTOR WHO SUGGESTED I SUBMIT THIS FORM AND THAT I FLY TOMORROW FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN RUDDER CTL. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS HURT AND NO PROPERTY DAMAGE DONE; BUT IT WAS A LESSON THAT I'LL REMEMBER FOR THE REST OF MY FLYING CAREER!

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.