Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while landing in a crosswind.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The solo student pilot described that, during the landing approach, there was a crosswind from the right. When the airplane touched down, it drifted to the left. The pilot attempted to correct by applying right rudder, but the airplane departed the left side of the runway and continued through a ditch, resulting in substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.