What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While on first solo pattern flight at Pontiac Municipal Airport (kpnt), the student pilot experienced hard landing on 3rd and final intended landing runway 24. The pilot explained that he noticed his vertical descent rate was higher than normal and he tried to arrest descent with more backpressure on the yoke. However, the aircraft still contacted the ground hard and bounced while drifting right of the centerline. In efforts to recover from the bounce and drift, the pilot explained that he added too much left rudder causing a loss of directional control and exit from the runway to the left on a heading of approx. 140 degrees. The aircraft then proceeded down hill in wet grass and hit row of high corn and terrain causing minor damage to the aircrafts wing and shearing of the main landing gear assembly.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE ON FIRST SOLO PATTERN FLIGHT AT PONTIAC MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KPNT), THE STUDENT PILOT EXPERIENCED HARD LANDING ON 3RD AND FINAL INTENDED LANDING RUNWAY 24. THE PILOT EXPLAINED THAT HE NOTICED HIS VERTICAL DESCENT RATE WAS HIGHER THAN NORMAL AND HE TRIED TO ARREST DESCENT WITH MORE BACKPRESSURE ON THE YOKE. HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT STILL CONTACTED THE GROUND HARD AND BOUNCED WHILE DRIFTING RIGHT OF THE CENTERLINE. IN EFFORTS TO RECOVER FROM THE BOUNCE AND DRIFT, THE PILOT EXPLAINED THAT HE ADDED TOO MUCH LEFT RUDDER CAUSING A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND EXIT FROM THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT ON A HEADING OF APPROX. 140 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT THEN PROCEEDED DOWN HILL IN WET GRASS AND HIT ROW OF HIGH CORN AND TERRAIN CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFTS WING AND SHEARING OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY.
Other reports on N3574C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.