Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and his failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, which resulted in a ground swerve and a collision with trees.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot was on a solo flight practicing takeoffs and landings. This practice was being conducted with a 5 to 8 knot left cross wind. The pilot indicated that on his last landing, at touchdown, a gust of wind from the right caused the airplane to veer left off the runway at a 45 degree angle. The pilot maneuvered the airplane around parked airplanes and an automobile, then impacted a tree line. Attempts to brake the airplane to a stop had been unsuccessful on the grass surface.
Source record
Factual narrative
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