Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The student pilot failed to compensate for the crosswind condition and failed to maintain directional control. Factors included the crosswind and the windsock.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On April 25, 2005, at 1615 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N2833F, operated by the Lansing Community College, sustained substantial damage when it veered off the left side of runway 27L (8,412 feet by 150 feet, asphalt) at the South Bend Regional Airport (SBN), South Bend, Indiana, and hit the wind sock with its left wing. The solo student pilot was not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional cross-country flight departed Muskegon, Michigan, at an unknown time. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. A visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed.
The student pilot reported that he "taxied onto the runway for departure and the airplane began to pull to the left. I then added more correction but couldn't prevent the aircraft from going off the runway. The left wing hit the wind sock and then the plane came to a rest."
The student pilot had a total of 58 hours of flight time with 9.9 hours as pilot in command.
The observed surface winds at SBN at 1554 were 240 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 21 knots.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI05CA105