Primary finding
Probable cause
The student pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a loss of control during landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
According to the student pilot, he was practicing touch-and-go landings. During the landing flare, the student pilot said that it “felt like a normal landing, but the airplane started to porpoise.” Once the airplane touched down, the student pilot tried to recover control of the airplane by pulling back on the yoke but, the airplane started to skid. He then overcompensated by applying too much rudder input, and the airplane veered off the runway, colliding with a taxiway sign. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer. The student pilot reported that there was no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.