Primary finding
Probable cause
The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during a touch-and-go landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot was performing landings during her second solo flight. On her third touch-and-go landing, while looking down to ensure that the flaps were retracted and carburetor heat was off, she advanced the throttle to full, and the airplane began to veer to the left. The student pilot attempted to correct but was unable to regain control of the airplane before it departed the runway. The airplane entered muddy terrain, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and wings. The student pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.