What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
2021-06-29, N338MK, Piper PA-28 departed the right side of runway 15 at New Ulm muni, kulm
The PIC of the aircraft was a student pilot on his first solo. He had just completed 3 landings with his CFI at this airport. The CFI got out of the plane and signed the student pilot off for the solo. No go-arounds were conducted in the presolo check flight.
This incident occurred on the first landing of the solo student. Aircraft data showed that the final approach was lined up, but as the solo approached the end of the runway, he maintained altitude and came across the end of the runway high. As the captain bars came under the nose, the student chopped power to idle, pushed the nose over, and the aircraft descended at a 800 fpm rate. Seconds later it touched down and swerved left, then right, then left, then with more right rudder input the aircraft swerved hard right departing the right side of the runway. The s-swerving took place over 1000 feet of pavement.
When the aircraft departed the runway, a runway light was hit. The light bounced up hitting the bottom of the right wing and denting the fuel tank, it then traveled aft and punched a hole into the bottom of the right flap. A prop strike to the ground was also experienced.
The CFI ran over and was the first and only response to the incident. The CFI started the aircraft in the grass and taxied it back to the ramp without intent to fly. At that time the damage assessment was performed, operations and maintenance were notified. Then engine was removed for the prop strike inspection, other maintenance conducted and three weeks later the aircraft was returned to service.
FAA met with the director of safety for the school, CFI and student pilot. Counseling included the importance of stabilized approaches, go around training and executing the go-around itself prior to solo release. The flight school had a safety stand down to cover the topics and established personal training for the student pilot to safely return him to an operational status.
As the FAA filed it
2021-06-29, N338MK, PIPER PA-28 DEPARTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY 15 AT NEW ULM MUNI, KULM
THE PIC OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS A STUDENT PILOT ON HIS FIRST SOLO. HE HAD JUST COMPLETED 3 LANDINGS WITH HIS CFI AT THIS AIRPORT. THE CFI GOT OUT OF THE PLANE AND SIGNED THE STUDENT PILOT OFF FOR THE SOLO. NO GO-AROUNDS WERE CONDUCTED IN THE PRESOLO CHECK FLIGHT.
THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE FIRST LANDING OF THE SOLO STUDENT. AIRCRAFT DATA SHOWED THAT THE FINAL APPROACH WAS LINED UP, BUT AS THE SOLO APPROACHED THE END OF THE RUNWAY, HE MAINTAINED ALTITUDE AND CAME ACROSS THE END OF THE RUNWAY HIGH. AS THE CAPTAIN BARS CAME UNDER THE NOSE, THE STUDENT CHOPPED POWER TO IDLE, PUSHED THE NOSE OVER, AND THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED AT A 800 FPM RATE. SECONDS LATER IT TOUCHED DOWN AND SWERVED LEFT, THEN RIGHT, THEN LEFT, THEN WITH MORE RIGHT RUDDER INPUT THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED HARD RIGHT DEPARTING THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE S-SWERVING TOOK PLACE OVER 1000 FEET OF PAVEMENT.
WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, A RUNWAY LIGHT WAS HIT. THE LIGHT BOUNCED UP HITTING THE BOTTOM OF THE RIGHT WING AND DENTING THE FUEL TANK, IT THEN TRAVELED AFT AND PUNCHED A HOLE INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE RIGHT FLAP. A PROP STRIKE TO THE GROUND WAS ALSO EXPERIENCED.
THE CFI RAN OVER AND WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY RESPONSE TO THE INCIDENT. THE CFI STARTED THE AIRCRAFT IN THE GRASS AND TAXIED IT BACK TO THE RAMP WITHOUT INTENT TO FLY. AT THAT TIME THE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT WAS PERFORMED, OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE WERE NOTIFIED. THEN ENGINE WAS REMOVED FOR THE PROP STRIKE INSPECTION, OTHER MAINTENANCE CONDUCTED AND THREE WEEKS LATER THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.
FAA MET WITH THE DIRECTOR OF SAFETY FOR THE SCHOOL, CFI AND STUDENT PILOT. COUNSELING INCLUDED THE IMPORTANCE OF STABILIZED APPROACHES, GO AROUND TRAINING AND EXECUTING THE GO-AROUND ITSELF PRIOR TO SOLO RELEASE. THE FLIGHT SCHOOL HAD A SAFETY STAND DOWN TO COVER THE TOPICS AND ESTABLISHED PERSONAL TRAINING FOR THE STUDENT PILOT TO SAFELY RETURN HIM TO AN OPERATIONAL STATUS.