N3558E

On July 19, 1999, at 2015 eastern daylight time (edt), a Cessna 172N, N3558E, collided with a segmented circle around the wind tetrahedron following a loss of control on landing on runway 09 (3,700' x 75') at the Greenville Municipal Airport, Greenville, Michigan. The student pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 local solo instruction flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from the Greenville Muncipal Airport at 0800.

The student reported this was his second solo flight and he planned to perform two or three takeoffs and landings. He reported the landing was normal up until he felt like the airplane ballooned. He reported, "In reality very little if I had continued to bleed off the speed with the yoke I would have been fine." However, he reported that he decided to perform a go-around and the "...plane went off the runway to the left because I did not use right rudder like a normal takeoff." The pilot stated that since he was still on the ground he shut off the power and "...decided just to ride it out on the grass." The pilot stated he applied light brake pressure and "...hit right rudder at the end which collided with a section of the segmented circle."

The student reported he could have avoided the accident by 1) not performing a go-around in this case, 2) using right rudder during a go-around, 3) continuing to fly the airplane, and 4) straightening the nose during landing.