Narrative:

Time of occurrence: XA30. WX: sky clear below 8000 ft. Winds variable 5-10 KTS with gusts to 15 KTS. Events prior to incident: I took off on runway 27 with plans to remain in the pattern for landing practice. I examined the windsock and determined that there was a slight crosswind from about 340 degrees. I did a quick pre takeoff check and proceeded down the runway with the intention of performing a crosswind takeoff. I rotated and performed an appropriate crosswind takeoff. I climbed to pattern altitude and proceeded to turn for a left downwind for runway 27. I made all appropriate radio calls on the appropriate CTAF for palmyra airport. As I approached my turn from downwind to base for runway 27, I noticed there was a considerable amount of turbulence. I proceeded on to my base to final. I trimmed the aircraft for final approach. I noticed an unusual amount of sink with the aircraft. I increased the power and as I approached the threshold of runway 27 I noticed the wind had switched direction. I would have been landing with a tailwind. I increased power and proceeded to perform a go around. I again made the appropriate call on the CTAF. As I climbed out to pattern altitude, and made a turn to the left, I noticed that there was another aircraft on what appeared to be an extended final for runway 9. It was a bi-plane that was in the area. This aircraft at no time used any radio contact while in the traffic pattern at palmyra. At that point I wanted to avoid any potential contact with this aircraft. I thought it would be most prudent to continue around the traffic pattern and set up for a landing on runway 9. Again I made the appropriate radio calls within the traffic pattern. As I approached my downwind to base turn for runway 9, I noticed my airspeed was approximately 90 mph, and I was high in the pattern, approximately 1400 ft. There also seems to be an increasing amount of turbulence. (I thought it best to land and discontinue flying for the remainder of the day.) I called out on the radio that I was going to extend my final approach in order to decrease my altitude and airspeed. I did so. As I neared that threshold of runway 9, my airspeed was nearly 85 mph. Knowing this was too fast, I decreased the power to idle and at that point I had 20 degrees of flaps. I touched down just after the windsock and bounced slightly. I kept back pressure on the yoke and at this point did not apply any brakes. As I landed I felt the wind was pushing me to the right at a fairly quick rate. I proceeded to turn the yoke to the right to take the pressure off the left wing. I continued down the runway at a quick rate of speed, around 65-70 KTS. As I approached the far end of the runway, I was unsure if I had enough room to stop the aircraft. I was also continuing to veer to the right heading 'head-on' for the last wooden runway marker. At that point I attempted to utilize the aircraft's differential braking system to allow me to veer left. I applied left tow brake. I did not 'stand' on the brake, but used it enough to move the aircraft out of a head-on course for the runway marker. As I passed it at approximately 30 mph I heard a loud noise from the rear of the aircraft. As I passed the marker, I attempted to avoid the road (highway 106) by braking with the right tow brake. This action enabled me to veer to the right and I was able to swing the aircraft around and park it, in its usual tie-down spot. I shut the aircraft down and a fellow student pilot who was visiting from east troy airport walked over to see if I was alright. Nearly at the same time, mr X (the mechanic) walked up to inspect the damage. He had indicated he saw me come in for the landing and the windsock 'seemed' to spin around. At first near the flare, I had a near headwind that turned into a quartering tailwind. XXX indicated that he could be contacted for further information. I had asked mr X if I should contact mr Y. He indicated that I did not have to and that I should just go home. He further indicated that if he needed any further information he would contact me. Mr X had also indicated that I would have to receive some additional dual instruction from my instructor before I could fly the club planes solo. I contacted my instructor on my way home to fill him in on the events that took place. As indicated by my submitted statement of events, I, being a student pilot, became confused with the activity of the aforementioned as this pilot made no attempt to make radio contact, nor did he/she utilize the approach. Standard airport traffic pattern. I made an attempt to avoid this aircraft by landing on the right side of the runway, which put me farther to the right. In my attempt to conclude my flying for the day so as to avoid any conflicts with the bi-plane, I may have made an improper choice to force the aircraft onto the ground. At the point I realized I was too fast and too high, I should have initiated another go around procedure. This situation has been discussed with my instructor at length. Even though the WX conditions appeared appropriate for solo training, there were distrs at and around the airport that I had not encountered before. The primary distraction was the bi-plane who did not perform 'by the book' as I had been taught. This threw my concentration. I make no excuses. I had ultimate control and authority/authorized over my aircraft and made an error in judgement. I have elected to seek additional hours of dual instruction to address the above mentioned sits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 NEW STUDENT PLT LOST ACFT CTL AND WENT OFF THE RWY AT 88C.

Narrative: TIME OF OCCURRENCE: XA30. WX: SKY CLR BELOW 8000 FT. WINDS VARIABLE 5-10 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 15 KTS. EVENTS PRIOR TO INCIDENT: I TOOK OFF ON RWY 27 WITH PLANS TO REMAIN IN THE PATTERN FOR LNDG PRACTICE. I EXAMINED THE WINDSOCK AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A SLIGHT XWIND FROM ABOUT 340 DEGS. I DID A QUICK PRE TKOF CHK AND PROCEEDED DOWN THE RWY WITH THE INTENTION OF PERFORMING A XWIND TKOF. I ROTATED AND PERFORMED AN APPROPRIATE XWIND TKOF. I CLBED TO PATTERN ALT AND PROCEEDED TO TURN FOR A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 27. I MADE ALL APPROPRIATE RADIO CALLS ON THE APPROPRIATE CTAF FOR PALMYRA ARPT. AS I APCHED MY TURN FROM DOWNWIND TO BASE FOR RWY 27, I NOTICED THERE WAS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TURB. I PROCEEDED ON TO MY BASE TO FINAL. I TRIMMED THE ACFT FOR FINAL APCH. I NOTICED AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF SINK WITH THE ACFT. I INCREASED THE PWR AND AS I APCHED THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 27 I NOTICED THE WIND HAD SWITCHED DIRECTION. I WOULD HAVE BEEN LNDG WITH A TAILWIND. I INCREASED PWR AND PROCEEDED TO PERFORM A GAR. I AGAIN MADE THE APPROPRIATE CALL ON THE CTAF. AS I CLBED OUT TO PATTERN ALT, AND MADE A TURN TO THE L, I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT ON WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN EXTENDED FINAL FOR RWY 9. IT WAS A BI-PLANE THAT WAS IN THE AREA. THIS ACFT AT NO TIME USED ANY RADIO CONTACT WHILE IN THE TFC PATTERN AT PALMYRA. AT THAT POINT I WANTED TO AVOID ANY POTENTIAL CONTACT WITH THIS ACFT. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE MOST PRUDENT TO CONTINUE AROUND THE TFC PATTERN AND SET UP FOR A LNDG ON RWY 9. AGAIN I MADE THE APPROPRIATE RADIO CALLS WITHIN THE TFC PATTERN. AS I APCHED MY DOWNWIND TO BASE TURN FOR RWY 9, I NOTICED MY AIRSPD WAS APPROX 90 MPH, AND I WAS HIGH IN THE PATTERN, APPROX 1400 FT. THERE ALSO SEEMS TO BE AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF TURB. (I THOUGHT IT BEST TO LAND AND DISCONTINUE FLYING FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY.) I CALLED OUT ON THE RADIO THAT I WAS GOING TO EXTEND MY FINAL APCH IN ORDER TO DECREASE MY ALT AND AIRSPD. I DID SO. AS I NEARED THAT THRESHOLD OF RWY 9, MY AIRSPD WAS NEARLY 85 MPH. KNOWING THIS WAS TOO FAST, I DECREASED THE PWR TO IDLE AND AT THAT POINT I HAD 20 DEGS OF FLAPS. I TOUCHED DOWN JUST AFTER THE WINDSOCK AND BOUNCED SLIGHTLY. I KEPT BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE AND AT THIS POINT DID NOT APPLY ANY BRAKES. AS I LANDED I FELT THE WIND WAS PUSHING ME TO THE R AT A FAIRLY QUICK RATE. I PROCEEDED TO TURN THE YOKE TO THE R TO TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF THE L WING. I CONTINUED DOWN THE RWY AT A QUICK RATE OF SPD, AROUND 65-70 KTS. AS I APCHED THE FAR END OF THE RWY, I WAS UNSURE IF I HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO STOP THE ACFT. I WAS ALSO CONTINUING TO VEER TO THE R HDG 'HEAD-ON' FOR THE LAST WOODEN RWY MARKER. AT THAT POINT I ATTEMPTED TO UTILIZE THE ACFT'S DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING SYS TO ALLOW ME TO VEER L. I APPLIED L TOW BRAKE. I DID NOT 'STAND' ON THE BRAKE, BUT USED IT ENOUGH TO MOVE THE ACFT OUT OF A HEAD-ON COURSE FOR THE RWY MARKER. AS I PASSED IT AT APPROX 30 MPH I HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE ACFT. AS I PASSED THE MARKER, I ATTEMPTED TO AVOID THE ROAD (HWY 106) BY BRAKING WITH THE R TOW BRAKE. THIS ACTION ENABLED ME TO VEER TO THE R AND I WAS ABLE TO SWING THE ACFT AROUND AND PARK IT, IN ITS USUAL TIE-DOWN SPOT. I SHUT THE ACFT DOWN AND A FELLOW STUDENT PLT WHO WAS VISITING FROM EAST TROY ARPT WALKED OVER TO SEE IF I WAS ALRIGHT. NEARLY AT THE SAME TIME, MR X (THE MECH) WALKED UP TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE. HE HAD INDICATED HE SAW ME COME IN FOR THE LNDG AND THE WINDSOCK 'SEEMED' TO SPIN AROUND. AT FIRST NEAR THE FLARE, I HAD A NEAR HEADWIND THAT TURNED INTO A QUARTERING TAILWIND. XXX INDICATED THAT HE COULD BE CONTACTED FOR FURTHER INFO. I HAD ASKED MR X IF I SHOULD CONTACT MR Y. HE INDICATED THAT I DID NOT HAVE TO AND THAT I SHOULD JUST GO HOME. HE FURTHER INDICATED THAT IF HE NEEDED ANY FURTHER INFO HE WOULD CONTACT ME. MR X HAD ALSO INDICATED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO RECEIVE SOME ADDITIONAL DUAL INSTRUCTION FROM MY INSTRUCTOR BEFORE I COULD FLY THE CLUB PLANES SOLO. I CONTACTED MY INSTRUCTOR ON MY WAY HOME TO FILL HIM IN ON THE EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE. AS INDICATED BY MY SUBMITTED STATEMENT OF EVENTS, I, BEING A STUDENT PLT, BECAME CONFUSED WITH THE ACTIVITY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED AS THIS PLT MADE NO ATTEMPT TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT, NOR DID HE/SHE UTILIZE THE APCH. STANDARD ARPT TFC PATTERN. I MADE AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THIS ACFT BY LNDG ON THE R SIDE OF THE RWY, WHICH PUT ME FARTHER TO THE R. IN MY ATTEMPT TO CONCLUDE MY FLYING FOR THE DAY SO AS TO AVOID ANY CONFLICTS WITH THE BI-PLANE, I MAY HAVE MADE AN IMPROPER CHOICE TO FORCE THE ACFT ONTO THE GND. AT THE POINT I REALIZED I WAS TOO FAST AND TOO HIGH, I SHOULD HAVE INITIATED ANOTHER GAR PROC. THIS SIT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED WITH MY INSTRUCTOR AT LENGTH. EVEN THOUGH THE WX CONDITIONS APPEARED APPROPRIATE FOR SOLO TRAINING, THERE WERE DISTRS AT AND AROUND THE ARPT THAT I HAD NOT ENCOUNTERED BEFORE. THE PRIMARY DISTR WAS THE BI-PLANE WHO DID NOT PERFORM 'BY THE BOOK' AS I HAD BEEN TAUGHT. THIS THREW MY CONCENTRATION. I MAKE NO EXCUSES. I HAD ULTIMATE CTL AND AUTH OVER MY ACFT AND MADE AN ERROR IN JUDGEMENT. I HAVE ELECTED TO SEEK ADDITIONAL HRS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION TO ADDRESS THE ABOVE MENTIONED SITS.

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.