What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The student pilot was performing his first solo flight, following a series of touch and go landings with a flight instructor. The instructor then observed the student pilot depart and fly a standard traffic pattern at Imperial County Airport. Upon landing, with full flaps, the main gear touched down, followed by the nose wheel. The aircraft began to veer to the left and departed the runway, ultimately coming to rest inverted. The student pilot was not injured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The student pilot stated he "lost his focus" and could not control the aircraft. No mechanical defect or failure indicated. The circumstances of this accident, including the decision to endorse the student pilot for solo flight, were discussed with the student pilot's flight instructor.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PERFORMING HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT, FOLLOWING A SERIES OF TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS WITH A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. THE INSTRUCTOR THEN OBSERVED THE STUDENT PILOT DEPART AND FLY A STANDARD TRAFFIC PATTERN AT IMPERIAL COUNTY AIRPORT. UPON LANDING, WITH FULL FLAPS, THE MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN, FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE WHEEL. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO VEER TO THE LEFT AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, ULTIMATELY COMING TO REST INVERTED. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE STUDENT PILOT STATED HE "LOST HIS FOCUS" AND COULD NOT CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT. NO MECHANICAL DEFECT OR FAILURE INDICATED. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS ACCIDENT, INCLUDING THE DECISION TO ENDORSE THE STUDENT PILOT FOR SOLO FLIGHT, WERE DISCUSSED WITH THE STUDENT PILOT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N4734B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.