What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The student pilot was flying his first solo. During the third landing the pilot reported losing control of the airplane. The landing was bumpy, and the airplane turned right then left. The pilot accidently bumped the throttle forward of idle. The airplane became airborne while pointing left of the runway centerline. Then the bottom of the airplane hit the taxiway sign to the left of the runway. The sign punctured the belly of the airplane. The airplane then impacted the grass area between the runway and taxiway in a nose low attitude striking the propeller and engine cowling.
Witnesses watching the event reported hearing the engine sound increase in RPM before the airplane became airborne.
Note: the throttle of this airplane is between the two front seats next to the pilot’s hip. It was reported by the chief flight instructor, the student’s flight instructor, and the student pilot that because of the throttle’s position it is common to bump the throttle forward when moving a hand off the throttle.
As the FAA filed it
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS FLYING HIS FIRST SOLO. DURING THE THIRD LANDING THE PILOT REPORTED LOSING CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE LANDING WAS BUMPY, AND THE AIRPLANE TURNED RIGHT THEN LEFT. THE PILOT ACCIDENTLY BUMPED THE THROTTLE FORWARD OF IDLE. THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE WHILE POINTING LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THEN THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRPLANE HIT THE TAXIWAY SIGN TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE SIGN PUNCTURED THE BELLY OF THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE THEN IMPACTED THE GRASS AREA BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE STRIKING THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE COWLING.
WITNESSES WATCHING THE EVENT REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINE SOUND INCREASE IN RPM BEFORE THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE.
NOTE: THE THROTTLE OF THIS AIRPLANE IS BETWEEN THE TWO FRONT SEATS NEXT TO THE PILOT’S HIP. IT WAS REPORTED BY THE CHIEF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THE STUDENT’S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, AND THE STUDENT PILOT THAT BECAUSE OF THE THROTTLE’S POSITION IT IS COMMON TO BUMP THE THROTTLE FORWARD WHEN MOVING A HAND OFF THE THROTTLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.