HARBOR SPRINGS, MI, USA
N6704W
PIPER PA-28-140
THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT HAD ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE DURING HIS FIRST APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY, SO HE PERFORMED A GO-AROUND. DURING A SECOND ATTEMPT, HE MADE A STEEPER THAN NORMAL APPROACH AND THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN 'PAST THE NUMBERS.' THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AS THE AIRPLANE DECELERATED ON THE RUNWAY, IT 'CAUGHT A WIND GUST' AND VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED ACROSS AN ICY AREA AND IMPACTED A PLOWED RIDGE OF SNOW LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET FROM THE LEFT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF 15.7 HOURS, OF WHICH .5 HOURS WERE SOLO FLIGHT TIME. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING HIS SECOND SOLO FLIGHT. THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT THE RUNWAY WAS CLEAR, DRY AND IN GOOD CONDITION, AND SURFACE WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 5 TO 7 KNOTS.
THE STUDENT PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTIAN ADEQUATE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE UNFAVORABLE WIND WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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