What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost directional control landing in strong gusty winds. Too much wind for a solo student. (.4)the student pilot reported he made one landing followed by a go-around. On the third landing, while at an altitude of 2 to 4 feet AGL, the airplane landed 'harder than usual' with the nose gear contacting the runway followed by the main gear. The nose gear collapsed when it contacted the runway and the airplane veered off the side of the runway into the grass. The landing was made on runway 5, with the pilot reporting the winds from 040 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 21 knots. (-23) on April 4, 1998, at approximately 1349 pm EST, a Piper PA-28-161, N537PU made a hard landing at Purdue University Airport, west Lafayette, Indiana. The pilot held a student pilot certificate and was on his third solo training flight. On the pilot's second approach to runway five, he encountered variable winds with some gusts and made a go-around. During the third approach the pilot allowed the nose of the aircraft to drop suddenly and strike the ground first. The main wheels then came down and the aircraft cou uld not be steered by the rudder pedals. The aircraft turned to the right and left the runway going into the grass shoulder. It came to rest near the intersection of runway five and ten. The aircraft had substantial damage to the propeller, nose gear, engine, and engine fire wall. The student pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured. The weather at the time of the accident was a few clouds at 3,700 feet, with better than 10 sm visibility, and the wind out of 020 degrees at 14 knots, with gusts up to 21 knots.
As the FAA filed it
LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL LANDING IN STRONG GUSTY WINDS. TOO MUCH WIND FOR A SOLO STUDENT. (.4)THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED HE MADE ONE LANDING FOLLOWED BY A GO-AROUND. ON THE THIRD LANDING, WHILE AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2 TO 4 FEET AGL, THE AIRPLANE LANDED 'HARDER THAN USUAL' WITH THE NOSE GEAR CONTACTING THE RUNWAY FOLLOWED BY THE MAIN GEAR. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN IT CONTACTED THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY INTO THE GRASS. THE LANDING WAS MADE ON RUNWAY 5, WITH THE PILOT REPORTING THE WINDS FROM 040 DEGREES AT 14 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 21 KNOTS. (-23) ON APRIL 4, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 1349 PM EST, A PIPER PA-28-161, N537PU MADE A HARD LANDING AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY AIRPORT, WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA. THE PILOT HELD A STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE AND WAS ON HIS THIRD SOLO TRAINING FLIGHT. ON THE PILOT'S SECOND APPROACH TO RUNWAY FIVE, HE ENCOUNTERED VARIABLE WINDS WITH SOME GUSTS AND MADE A GO-AROUND. DURING THE THIRD APPROACH THE PILOT ALLOWED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO DROP SUDDENLY AND STRIKE THE GROUND FIRST. THE MAIN WHEELS THEN CAME DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT COU ULD NOT BE STEERED BY THE RUDDER PEDALS. THE AIRCRAFT TURNED TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT THE RUNWAY GOING INTO THE GRASS SHOULDER. IT CAME TO REST NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF RUNWAY FIVE AND TEN. THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, NOSE GEAR, ENGINE, AND ENGINE FIRE WALL. THE STUDENT PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS A FEW CLOUDS AT 3,700 FEET, WITH BETTER THAN 10 SM VISIBILITY, AND THE WIND OUT OF 020 DEGREES AT 14 KNOTS, WITH GUSTS UP TO 21 KNOTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.