FTW02LA122

An 18-hour student pilot entered a left hand traffic pattern for a second supervised solo flight of stop and go landings. The student completed three stop-and-go landings without incident. During the landing roll of the fourth landing, he was not able to exit to taxiway "charlie" and was instructed by the tower to "make next taxiway." The pilot added power while taxiing to taxiway "delta," at which time he began to lose control of the airplane towards the left. While attempting to correct the problem, the airplane departed the left side of the runway and rolled into a drainage ditch substantially damaging the lower fuselage. A witness reported that "as the plane hit the ground, the aircraft proceeded to float several feet and make a strong turn to the left, and then proceeded to run off the runway, and hit nose first in the ground."

On April 13, 2002, at 0900 central daylight time, a Cessna 172R, N58AF, sustained substantial damage after it impacted a ditch following a loss of control during the landing roll on runway 17 at the McKinney Municipal Airport, McKinney, Texas. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was registered to ATE of Texas, Inc., Dallas, Texas, and operated by American Flyers of Dallas, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 solo instructional flight. The local flight originated from the McKinney Municipal Airport at 0850.

According to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB form 6120.1/2), the 18-hour student pilot stated he entered a left hand traffic pattern for a second supervised solo flight of stop-and-go landings. The student completed three stop-and-go landings without incident. The pilot was given clearance to taxi to parking after the fourth landing. During the landing roll, he was not able to exit to taxiway "charlie" and was instructed by the tower to "make next taxiway". According to the pilot, he added power while taxiing to taxiway "delta," and "began to lose control to the left. In trying to correct, I believe I made the situation worse." The airplane departed the left side of the runway and rolled into a drainage ditch where it came to rest upright.

A witness reported that "as the plane hit the ground, the aircraft proceeded to float several feet and make a strong turn to the left, and then proceeded to run off the runway, and hit nose first in the ground."

According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, the lower fuselage between the firewall and the main landing gear sustained structural damage. Additionally, the left elevator, rudder, outboard right wing leading edge, propeller, left main landing gear, and the nose landing gear were damaged.