GAA18CA485

Factual narrative

According to the student pilot, during a solo-flight in the pattern, the airplane encountered a wind gust from the left during the landing roll on runway 17. The airplane exited the left side of the runway and collided with a drainage culvert located about 100ft east of the runway. The airplane's ground speed at the time of the collision was about 15 miles per hour. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The METAR for the accident airport reported that about the time of the accident the wind was from 150° at 3kts, and the skies were clear. No gusts were reported. The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to the student pilot, during a solo flight in the traffic pattern, the airplane encountered a wind gust from the left during the landing roll. The airplane exited the left side of the runway and collided with a drainage culvert located about 100 ft east of the runway. The airplane's ground speed at the time of the collision was about 15 mph. The student reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing spar. The METAR for the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 150° at 3 knots, and the skies were clear. No gusts were reported. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
• — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Airport structure-Contributed to outcome