Narrative:

This occurrence took place while I was acting as an instructor for a student pilot on his final phase check prior to his private oral/flight test. The student had approximately 30 hours of dual instruction (with another CFI) and 20 hours of solo flight practice prior to this flight, that the student consistently felt that any substandard performance was acceptable as long as it was within his limits (i.e. Holding a constant altitude is not important; landing off the runway centerline is ok; etc. After some air work we flew to the richmond, ri, airport (RI04) for some short field takeoffs and lndgs. An inch or so of fresh, soft snow was present on the sides of the runway. The plowed, asphalt runway was clear and dry. A normal traffic pattern and approach was made. A slightly higher than normal flare was initiated by the student and then he began to allow the plane to drift to the left of centerline. The aircraft continued to drift to the left and the student did not make any corrections -- light winds. The student was not concerned as the left main wheel went off the runway and into the snow. The aircraft continued to move off the runway into the snow and slowly came to a stop. The engine was shut down and the aircraft pushed back onto the runway by hand. An inspection of the aircraft and airport was made. Having operated at RI04 for several yrs, I knew that the runway lights were displaced from the runway edges and that the adjacent ground was level and is used for ultralight operations. Injuries -- none. Damage to aircraft -- none. Damage to airport -- none.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT RUNS OFF SIDE OF RWY DURING A FINAL PHASE CHK. RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: THIS OCCURRENCE TOOK PLACE WHILE I WAS ACTING AS AN INSTRUCTOR FOR A STUDENT PLT ON HIS FINAL PHASE CHK PRIOR TO HIS PRIVATE ORAL/FLT TEST. THE STUDENT HAD APPROX 30 HRS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION (WITH ANOTHER CFI) AND 20 HRS OF SOLO FLT PRACTICE PRIOR TO THIS FLT, THAT THE STUDENT CONSISTENTLY FELT THAT ANY SUBSTANDARD PERFORMANCE WAS ACCEPTABLE AS LONG AS IT WAS WITHIN HIS LIMITS (I.E. HOLDING A CONSTANT ALT IS NOT IMPORTANT; LNDG OFF THE RWY CTRLINE IS OK; ETC. AFTER SOME AIR WORK WE FLEW TO THE RICHMOND, RI, ARPT (RI04) FOR SOME SHORT FIELD TKOFS AND LNDGS. AN INCH OR SO OF FRESH, SOFT SNOW WAS PRESENT ON THE SIDES OF THE RWY. THE PLOWED, ASPHALT RWY WAS CLR AND DRY. A NORMAL TFC PATTERN AND APCH WAS MADE. A SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN NORMAL FLARE WAS INITIATED BY THE STUDENT AND THEN HE BEGAN TO ALLOW THE PLANE TO DRIFT TO THE L OF CTRLINE. THE ACFT CONTINUED TO DRIFT TO THE L AND THE STUDENT DID NOT MAKE ANY CORRECTIONS -- LIGHT WINDS. THE STUDENT WAS NOT CONCERNED AS THE L MAIN WHEEL WENT OFF THE RWY AND INTO THE SNOW. THE ACFT CONTINUED TO MOVE OFF THE RWY INTO THE SNOW AND SLOWLY CAME TO A STOP. THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN AND THE ACFT PUSHED BACK ONTO THE RWY BY HAND. AN INSPECTION OF THE ACFT AND ARPT WAS MADE. HAVING OPERATED AT RI04 FOR SEVERAL YRS, I KNEW THAT THE RWY LIGHTS WERE DISPLACED FROM THE RWY EDGES AND THAT THE ADJACENT GND WAS LEVEL AND IS USED FOR ULTRALIGHT OPS. INJURIES -- NONE. DAMAGE TO ACFT -- NONE. DAMAGE TO ARPT -- NONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.