N5189W

On November 19, 1997, at 1122 Eastern Standard Time, a Piper PA-28-160, N5189W, was substantially damaged when it collided with a pole and wind indicator during the landing roll at the South Jersey Regional Airport (VAY), Mount Holly, New Jersey. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight. No flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

This was a student pilot supervised solo, and he was conducting the landings to Runway 26, a 3,911 foot long, 50 foot wide, asphalt runway. The student pilot reported that his first two landings were normal. During the third landing, "...I was on roll-out when the plane suddenly swerved off to the left, I panicked and just hung on until I hit a pole..."

Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions with the airplane, nor did the student pilot report any.

The winds at a nearby airport were reported to from 240 degrees at 4 knots. The student pilot had 32 hours of total flight experience, 15 hours were in make and model.