What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 17, 2018 at 14:10 CDT (1910 UTC) an 81 hour student pilot in a Grumman AA-1B departed the left side of runway 35 at the Salem Memorial Airport, K33 and struck a runway light. The aircraft touched down approximately 600 feet from the approach end of the runway and rolled out 250 feet, turned 45 degree left and departed the runway. The pilot applied right rudder and regained directional control with the aircraft centered on the runway light located ten feet from the edge of the runway surface. The nose landing gear struck the runway marker light, partially collapsed to the rear and the nose of the aircraft dropped to the ground as it slid to a stop in a nose down attitude 190 feet after colliding with the runway light. The aircraft came to rest 60 feet to the left side of the runway on a heading of 300 degrees. The pilot was not injured and egressed without assistance.
The student pilot contacted his instructor prior to the flight to discuss the local area solo flight. He contacted the flight service station for a weather briefing as advised by his instructor. He made a weather decision to fly based on his understanding the winds were out of the northwest at 8 to 10 knots. He determined soon after a normal takeoff that the winds and turbulence were stronger than expected. He made a decision to terminate the flight and remained in the traffic pattern to return for landing.
The student pilot stated the approach and landing were uneventful until the aircraft made an abrupt left turn. He regained directional control after applying full right rudder.
Weather conditions were clear skies and light winds prior to the flight. Isolated gusty conditions existed after flight as reported at fort lenard wood 27 miles to the west and rolla national airport 21 miles northwest. The first responders reported gusty winds varying from northwest to northeast at the time of the incident.
There were no mechanical issues reported by the pilot prior to the flight. Investigators did not discover any mechanical issues during the investigation.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 17, 2018 AT 14:10 CDT (1910 UTC) AN 81 HOUR STUDENT PILOT IN A GRUMMAN AA-1B DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 35 AT THE SALEM MEMORIAL AIRPORT, K33 AND STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY AND ROLLED OUT 250 FEET, TURNED 45 DEGREE LEFT AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND REGAINED DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WITH THE AIRCRAFT CENTERED ON THE RUNWAY LIGHT LOCATED TEN FEET FROM THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE RUNWAY MARKER LIGHT, PARTIALLY COLLAPSED TO THE REAR AND THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED TO THE GROUND AS IT SLID TO A STOP IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE 190 FEET AFTER COLLIDING WITH THE RUNWAY LIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST 60 FEET TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY ON A HEADING OF 300 DEGREES. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AND EGRESSED WITHOUT ASSISTANCE.
THE STUDENT PILOT CONTACTED HIS INSTRUCTOR PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT TO DISCUSS THE LOCAL AREA SOLO FLIGHT. HE CONTACTED THE FLIGHT SERVICE STATION FOR A WEATHER BRIEFING AS ADVISED BY HIS INSTRUCTOR. HE MADE A WEATHER DECISION TO FLY BASED ON HIS UNDERSTANDING THE WINDS WERE OUT OF THE NORTHWEST AT 8 TO 10 KNOTS. HE DETERMINED SOON AFTER A NORMAL TAKEOFF THAT THE WINDS AND TURBULENCE WERE STRONGER THAN EXPECTED. HE MADE A DECISION TO TERMINATE THE FLIGHT AND REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO RETURN FOR LANDING.
THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THE APPROACH AND LANDING WERE UNEVENTFUL UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN ABRUPT LEFT TURN. HE REGAINED DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AFTER APPLYING FULL RIGHT RUDDER.
WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. ISOLATED GUSTY CONDITIONS EXISTED AFTER FLIGHT AS REPORTED AT FORT LENARD WOOD 27 MILES TO THE WEST AND ROLLA NATIONAL AIRPORT 21 MILES NORTHWEST. THE FIRST RESPONDERS REPORTED GUSTY WINDS VARYING FROM NORTHWEST TO NORTHEAST AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL ISSUES REPORTED BY THE PILOT PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. INVESTIGATORS DID NOT DISCOVER ANY MECHANICAL ISSUES DURING THE INVESTIGATION.