What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 05/30/2014, at approximately 1130, N6462R, a Piper PA-28-140, was landing on runway 22 at the caldwell airport (cdw), when the aircraft departed the left side of runway upon landing. The PIC was identified as privacy data omitted, student pilot cert #privacy data omitted. The aircraft was towed to paragon aircraft services by airport operations. There was no damage to the aircraft found.
In a statement forwarded to the FSDO, privacy data omitted stated:
"N6462R is the equipment I fly nearly 100% of the time. I had been flying with it and my instructor the week prior. That day I wanted to do some solo pattern work. The TAF showed no significant weather. I did my preflight and run up and was cleared to takeoff and enter the pattern for runway 22 at kcdw. I did 7 touch and go landings without incident. As I came in for final on landing number 8 I took note of the windsock showing the wind right to left. I had also heard the change via tower communication. I rolled the ailerons to the right and place the rudder to the left to keep me centerline. I did not take into account the tailwind component of the wind. I landed centerline but with more speed than usual, and immediately found myself rapidly toward the left side if the runway. I entered the grass as I regained alignment control and sought to simultaneously stop the aircraft and keep it from hitting anything. Once the aircraft came to a stop, the right wing was not 100% clear of the runway, and I notified tower of the incident. They shifted the pattern to runway 28, and called base operations. I felt too shaken to restart the aircraft and taxi if I did not need to. Additionally, in the moment I did not recall what had shut down the engine. I thought that I pulled the mixture and fuel but was not sure and did not want to restart the aircraft if that was not the case. The aircraft was towed to the service area to be checked out. Later, I was told it was alright. Later, I spoke with my instructor, privacy data omitted, as he was away during the time of the incident.
In my own review of the incident, in trying to learn from it I concluded that in my desire to keep the aircraft centerlined on the runway I did not take my foot off the left rudder pedal upon touchdown. That combined with the extra speed from the tailwind component of the crosswind, led me to veer onto the grass median. In the future, should I have a runway given to me with a tailwind component I would not fall into the pattern of just listening to the tower, but request an alternate runway. Additionally, I need to be lighter on rudder upon touchdown."
In a conversation with the iic, privacy data omitted stated he believes he did not remove the rudder pressure upon landing which caused the nosewheel to be pointed towards the left side of the runway when it touched. This with the increased airspeed caused the aircraft to depart the runway.
privacy data omitted Solo privileges will be rescinded by his CFI until further training is received.
As the FAA filed it
ON 05/30/2014, AT APPROXIMATELY 1130, N6462R, A PIPER PA-28-140, WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 22 AT THE CALDWELL AIRPORT (CDW), WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY UPON LANDING. THE PIC WAS IDENTIFIED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, STUDENT PILOT CERT #^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO PARAGON AIRCRAFT SERVICES BY AIRPORT OPERATIONS. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT FOUND.
IN A STATEMENT FORWARDED TO THE FSDO, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED:
"N6462R IS THE EQUIPMENT I FLY NEARLY 100% OF THE TIME. I HAD BEEN FLYING WITH IT AND MY INSTRUCTOR THE WEEK PRIOR. THAT DAY I WANTED TO DO SOME SOLO PATTERN WORK. THE TAF SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER. I DID MY PREFLIGHT AND RUN UP AND WAS CLEARED TO TAKEOFF AND ENTER THE PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 22 AT KCDW. I DID 7 TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS WITHOUT INCIDENT. AS I CAME IN FOR FINAL ON LANDING NUMBER 8 I TOOK NOTE OF THE WINDSOCK SHOWING THE WIND RIGHT TO LEFT. I HAD ALSO HEARD THE CHANGE VIA TOWER COMMUNICATION. I ROLLED THE AILERONS TO THE RIGHT AND PLACE THE RUDDER TO THE LEFT TO KEEP ME CENTERLINE. I DID NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE TAILWIND COMPONENT OF THE WIND. I LANDED CENTERLINE BUT WITH MORE SPEED THAN USUAL, AND IMMEDIATELY FOUND MYSELF RAPIDLY TOWARD THE LEFT SIDE IF THE RUNWAY. I ENTERED THE GRASS AS I REGAINED ALIGNMENT CONTROL AND SOUGHT TO SIMULTANEOUSLY STOP THE AIRCRAFT AND KEEP IT FROM HITTING ANYTHING. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP, THE RIGHT WING WAS NOT 100% CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY, AND I NOTIFIED TOWER OF THE INCIDENT. THEY SHIFTED THE PATTERN TO RUNWAY 28, AND CALLED BASE OPERATIONS. I FELT TOO SHAKEN TO RESTART THE AIRCRAFT AND TAXI IF I DID NOT NEED TO. ADDITIONALLY, IN THE MOMENT I DID NOT RECALL WHAT HAD SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. I THOUGHT THAT I PULLED THE MIXTURE AND FUEL BUT WAS NOT SURE AND DID NOT WANT TO RESTART THE AIRCRAFT IF THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO THE SERVICE AREA TO BE CHECKED OUT. LATER, I WAS TOLD IT WAS ALRIGHT. LATER, I SPOKE WITH MY INSTRUCTOR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AS HE WAS AWAY DURING THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
IN MY OWN REVIEW OF THE INCIDENT, IN TRYING TO LEARN FROM IT I CONCLUDED THAT IN MY DESIRE TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT CENTERLINED ON THE RUNWAY I DID NOT TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE LEFT RUDDER PEDAL UPON TOUCHDOWN. THAT COMBINED WITH THE EXTRA SPEED FROM THE TAILWIND COMPONENT OF THE CROSSWIND, LED ME TO VEER ONTO THE GRASS MEDIAN. IN THE FUTURE, SHOULD I HAVE A RUNWAY GIVEN TO ME WITH A TAILWIND COMPONENT I WOULD NOT FALL INTO THE PATTERN OF JUST LISTENING TO THE TOWER, BUT REQUEST AN ALTERNATE RUNWAY. ADDITIONALLY, I NEED TO BE LIGHTER ON RUDDER UPON TOUCHDOWN."
IN A CONVERSATION WITH THE IIC, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE BELIEVES HE DID NOT REMOVE THE RUDDER PRESSURE UPON LANDING WHICH CAUSED THE NOSEWHEEL TO BE POINTED TOWARDS THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY WHEN IT TOUCHED. THIS WITH THE INCREASED AIRSPEED CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO DEPART THE RUNWAY.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SOLO PRIVILEGES WILL BE RESCINDED BY HIS CFI UNTIL FURTHER TRAINING IS RECEIVED.