What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 8/26/00, MS. Robertson was flying N239NA, a super cub Piper PA-18, for her first tailwheel solo flight. After an uneventful takeoff and normal traffic pattern, she proceeded to land the a/c on runway 20. After touchdown, she lost control due to mismanaged controls. The a/c departed the runway with power, crossed the grass area between the runway and taxiway, went over the taxiway and into a ditch. Ms. Robertson was injred and hospitalized and the a/c received damage to the gear, propellor, windshield, fuselage and right wing. (.4) on August 26, 2000, about 1700 central daylight time, a Piper PA-18, N239NA, registered to and operated by a private owner as a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, ran off the runway while the pilot was performing a touch-and-go landing at Cullman, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft incurred substantial damage, and the private-rated pilot sustained minor injuries. The flight originated the same day, about 1720. The pilot stated that she stayed in the traffic pattern to perform one landing, and during the landing the approach was perfect, but after both wheels were on the runway, the airplane veered to the right. She said that she attempted to counteract the movement to the right by stepping on the left rudder, but the airplane went to the left and then the right again. She said that she then applied full power, thinking that she could make it fly, but wiht the application of full power the airplane's speed increased, and it continued to veer to the right. According to the pilot, the airplane exited the runway and hit the bank, at full power, incurring substantial damage. The pilot also said that prior to the accident, there had been no mechanical malfunction or failure to the a/c or any of its systems. According to the FAA inspector who examined the accident airplane, the student had been receiving dual flight instruction in the airplane and she and her instructor had stayed in the traffic pattern in order to practice touch and go landings. The inspector further stated that after performing some landings together, the instructor exited the a/c, and the student proceeded on her first solo flight in that a/c. the inspector said that during the solo landing the student mismanaged the controls and the a/c departed the runway with power still applied. It crossed the grass area between the runway and taxiway, went over the taxiway and into a ditch, incurring substantial damage.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 8/26/00, MS. ROBERTSON WAS FLYING N239NA, A SUPER CUB PIPER PA-18, FOR HER FIRST TAILWHEEL SOLO FLIGHT. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL TAKEOFF AND NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN, SHE PROCEEDED TO LAND THE A/C ON RUNWAY 20. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, SHE LOST CONTROL DUE TO MISMANAGED CONTROLS. THE A/C DEPARTED THE RUNWAY WITH POWER, CROSSED THE GRASS AREA BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY, WENT OVER THE TAXIWAY AND INTO A DITCH. MS. ROBERTSON WAS INJRED AND HOSPITALIZED AND THE A/C RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE GEAR, PROPELLOR, WINDSHIELD, FUSELAGE AND RIGHT WING. (.4) ON AUGUST 26, 2000, ABOUT 1700 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-18, N239NA, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE OWNER AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, RAN OFF THE RUNWAY WHILE THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING AT CULLMAN, ALABAMA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 1720. THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE STAYED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO PERFORM ONE LANDING, AND DURING THE LANDING THE APPROACH WAS PERFECT, BUT AFTER BOTH WHEELS WERE ON THE RUNWAY, THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT. SHE SAID THAT SHE ATTEMPTED TO COUNTERACT THE MOVEMENT TO THE RIGHT BY STEPPING ON THE LEFT RUDDER, BUT THE AIRPLANE WENT TO THE LEFT AND THEN THE RIGHT AGAIN. SHE SAID THAT SHE THEN APPLIED FULL POWER, THINKING THAT SHE COULD MAKE IT FLY, BUT WIHT THE APPLICATION OF FULL POWER THE AIRPLANE'S SPEED INCREASED, AND IT CONTINUED TO VEER TO THE RIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE RUNWAY AND HIT THE BANK, AT FULL POWER, INCURRING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT ALSO SAID THAT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THERE HAD BEEN NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE TO THE A/C OR ANY OF ITS SYSTEMS. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO EXAMINED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE, THE STUDENT HAD BEEN RECEIVING DUAL FLIGHT INSTRUCTION IN THE AIRPLANE AND SHE AND HER INSTRUCTOR HAD STAYED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN IN ORDER TO PRACTICE TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. THE INSPECTOR FURTHER STATED THAT AFTER PERFORMING SOME LANDINGS TOGETHER, THE INSTRUCTOR EXITED THE A/C, AND THE STUDENT PROCEEDED ON HER FIRST SOLO FLIGHT IN THAT A/C. THE INSPECTOR SAID THAT DURING THE SOLO LANDING THE STUDENT MISMANAGED THE CONTROLS AND THE A/C DEPARTED THE RUNWAY WITH POWER STILL APPLIED. IT CROSSED THE GRASS AREA BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY, WENT OVER THE TAXIWAY AND INTO A DITCH, INCURRING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.