What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The low time, student pilot was on a supervised solo flight from palm springs international airport to desert resorts regional, an uncontrolled airport. The pilot stated that he received a weather observation from the ASOS facility at desert resorts and the winds were reported as light from 080. These winds favored runway 12, but the student saw a small jet taking off from runway 35 and assumed that runway 35 was the active runway. Runway 12-30 is mostly utilized by glider traffic and most aircraft use runway 35-17 to avoid the glider traffic. Upon landing, the pilot encountered wind gusts from approximately 080 degrees, lost control of the aircraft and departed the runway. The aircraft dug into the dirt and flipped over on it's back. The flight school owner/chief instructor arrived soon after the mishap and noticed that there were strong wind gusts across runway 35. The flight school has student weather restrictions of 5000 foot ceilings and no more than 7 knots cross wind components. The school requires students to obtain a commercial weather brief and to verify that the weather conditions are within school set limits. According to the student pilot, the ASOS did not transmit a gust spread. (.19) on March 11, 2003, at 1115 pacific standard time, a Cessna 172R, N4201Y, veered off of runway 35 and came to rest inverted at the palm desert regional airport (trm), Thermal, California. The flight school at palm springs operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The airplane was substantially damaged. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area instructional flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed the palm springs, California, international airport at an undetermined time. The flight was scheduled to terminate at psp. According to a METAR report taken at 1054 at trm, the wind was from 120 degrees at 6 knots. According to the student, he landed with a crosswind. On the landing rollout a gust of wind caught the right wing and the airplane departed the runway. The nose landing gear dug into the soft sand and the airplane came to rest inverted. The student pilot stated that there were no mechanical difficulties encountered with the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE LOW TIME, STUDENT PILOT WAS ON A SUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT FROM PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO DESERT RESORTS REGIONAL, AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED A WEATHER OBSERVATION FROM THE ASOS FACILITY AT DESERT RESORTS AND THE WINDS WERE REPORTED AS LIGHT FROM 080. THESE WINDS FAVORED RUNWAY 12, BUT THE STUDENT SAW A SMALL JET TAKING OFF FROM RUNWAY 35 AND ASSUMED THAT RUNWAY 35 WAS THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. RUNWAY 12-30 IS MOSTLY UTILIZED BY GLIDER TRAFFIC AND MOST AIRCRAFT USE RUNWAY 35-17 TO AVOID THE GLIDER TRAFFIC. UPON LANDING, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED WIND GUSTS FROM APPROXIMATELY 080 DEGREES, LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT DUG INTO THE DIRT AND FLIPPED OVER ON IT'S BACK. THE FLIGHT SCHOOL OWNER/CHIEF INSTRUCTOR ARRIVED SOON AFTER THE MISHAP AND NOTICED THAT THERE WERE STRONG WIND GUSTS ACROSS RUNWAY 35. THE FLIGHT SCHOOL HAS STUDENT WEATHER RESTRICTIONS OF 5000 FOOT CEILINGS AND NO MORE THAN 7 KNOTS CROSS WIND COMPONENTS. THE SCHOOL REQUIRES STUDENTS TO OBTAIN A COMMERCIAL WEATHER BRIEF AND TO VERIFY THAT THE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE WITHIN SCHOOL SET LIMITS. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT, THE ASOS DID NOT TRANSMIT A GUST SPREAD. (.19) ON MARCH 11, 2003, AT 1115 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172R, N4201Y, VEERED OFF OF RUNWAY 35 AND CAME TO REST INVERTED AT THE PALM DESERT REGIONAL AIRPORT (TRM), THERMAL, CALIFORNIA. THE FLIGHT SCHOOL AT PALM SPRINGS OPERATED THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT AN UNDETERMINED TIME. THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE AT PSP. ACCORDING TO A METAR REPORT TAKEN AT 1054 AT TRM, THE WIND WAS FROM 120 DEGREES AT 6 KNOTS. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT, HE LANDED WITH A CROSSWIND. ON THE LANDING ROLLOUT A GUST OF WIND CAUGHT THE RIGHT WING AND THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DUG INTO THE SOFT SAND AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED WITH THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.