Solo cross country student pilot suffers loss of aircraft controller during landing procedure rollou...

Attributes
ACN	296367
Time
Date	199502
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msv
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor observation : observer other personnel other
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 1200 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	296367
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On feb/xx/95 a student of mine set out on a solo cross country flight to an airport in ny, approximately 65 NM from his home airport. Due to strong surface winds, the cessna 172 was blown off the side of the runway, where it collided with a snow bank. The student was not injured in any way, and the airplane suffered no structural damage the engine will have to be inspected however, due to sudden stoppage. Shortly after the incident, it was discovered that the student did not have a valid solo cross country sign off. I am his instructor. We had taken a dual cross country flight to this airport about 2 weeks previous to the incident. I had signed him off to return solo to that airport for the same day as the dual trip. In my haste, I forgot to date the sign off. The student never went that day, for personal reasons. 2 weeks later, on feb/xx/95. I was out of the state with a personal emergency. The student, still thinking he was ok to go on his solo cross country, set out, without my knowledge. The surface winds were forecast to be gusty that day. When the student landed, AWOS was reporting the wind blowing 90 degrees to the runway at 15 KTS, gusting to 25 KTS. The student was unable to handle the crosswind, and was blown off the side of the runway into a snow bank. I would never had allowed the student to fly with the conditions as they were. Unfortunately, I did not know. The student had decided to solo. The big mistake on my part was not dating the solo cross country sign off that I placed in the student's logbook 2 weeks prior to the incident, when I thought the student was going to solo. My not dating the students logbook sign off may be interpretation as an open sign off to go any time, including during adverse conditions, such as the day of the incident. I certainly did not intend to do this, however, my oversight with the logbook endorsement may be interpretation that way. This incident has shown that one must be careful in signing off a student, and that the student must clearly understand the limitations and duration of a sign off. The student will be retrained in crosswind lndgs, and WX briefing interpretation and go-no-go WX factors.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SOLO XCOUNTRY STUDENT PLT SUFFERS LOSS OF ACFT CTLR DURING LNDG PROC ROLLOUT. RWY EXCURSION. UNAUTH SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT.

Narrative: ON FEB/XX/95 A STUDENT OF MINE SET OUT ON A SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT TO AN ARPT IN NY, APPROX 65 NM FROM HIS HOME ARPT. DUE TO STRONG SURFACE WINDS, THE CESSNA 172 WAS BLOWN OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY, WHERE IT COLLIDED WITH A SNOW BANK. THE STUDENT WAS NOT INJURED IN ANY WAY, AND THE AIRPLANE SUFFERED NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE THE ENG WILL HAVE TO BE INSPECTED HOWEVER, DUE TO SUDDEN STOPPAGE. SHORTLY AFTER THE INCIDENT, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE STUDENT DID NOT HAVE A VALID SOLO XCOUNTRY SIGN OFF. I AM HIS INSTRUCTOR. WE HAD TAKEN A DUAL XCOUNTRY FLT TO THIS ARPT ABOUT 2 WKS PREVIOUS TO THE INCIDENT. I HAD SIGNED HIM OFF TO RETURN SOLO TO THAT ARPT FOR THE SAME DAY AS THE DUAL TRIP. IN MY HASTE, I FORGOT TO DATE THE SIGN OFF. THE STUDENT NEVER WENT THAT DAY, FOR PERSONAL REASONS. 2 WKS LATER, ON FEB/XX/95. I WAS OUT OF THE STATE WITH A PERSONAL EMER. THE STUDENT, STILL THINKING HE WAS OK TO GO ON HIS SOLO XCOUNTRY, SET OUT, WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. THE SURFACE WINDS WERE FORECAST TO BE GUSTY THAT DAY. WHEN THE STUDENT LANDED, AWOS WAS RPTING THE WIND BLOWING 90 DEGS TO THE RWY AT 15 KTS, GUSTING TO 25 KTS. THE STUDENT WAS UNABLE TO HANDLE THE XWIND, AND WAS BLOWN OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY INTO A SNOW BANK. I WOULD NEVER HAD ALLOWED THE STUDENT TO FLY WITH THE CONDITIONS AS THEY WERE. UNFORTUNATELY, I DID NOT KNOW. THE STUDENT HAD DECIDED TO SOLO. THE BIG MISTAKE ON MY PART WAS NOT DATING THE SOLO XCOUNTRY SIGN OFF THAT I PLACED IN THE STUDENT'S LOGBOOK 2 WKS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, WHEN I THOUGHT THE STUDENT WAS GOING TO SOLO. MY NOT DATING THE STUDENTS LOGBOOK SIGN OFF MAY BE INTERP AS AN OPEN SIGN OFF TO GO ANY TIME, INCLUDING DURING ADVERSE CONDITIONS, SUCH AS THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT. I CERTAINLY DID NOT INTEND TO DO THIS, HOWEVER, MY OVERSIGHT WITH THE LOGBOOK ENDORSEMENT MAY BE INTERP THAT WAY. THIS INCIDENT HAS SHOWN THAT ONE MUST BE CAREFUL IN SIGNING OFF A STUDENT, AND THAT THE STUDENT MUST CLRLY UNDERSTAND THE LIMITATIONS AND DURATION OF A SIGN OFF. THE STUDENT WILL BE RETRAINED IN XWIND LNDGS, AND WX BRIEFING INTERP AND GO-NO-GO WX FACTORS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Solo cross country student pilot suffers loss of aircraft controller during landing procedure rollout. Runway excursion. Unauthorized solo cross country flight.