Narrative:

I was flying into an airport in south new hampshire in feb. Lots of snow on ground, patchy ice reported on runway. I was entering a left downwind on a 45 degree angle for runway 32 and announced my intention on the CTAF. Another pilot reported that he was on the downwind also for runway 32. He asked if I could see him. I looked but could not see him. I reported 'negative contact.' he stated he was entering left base for 32. He asked if I had him. I looked and could not see him again. I reported 'negative.' he stated 'well, you better open up your eyes, buddy.' I felt put down and a bit unnerved. This was the first leg of my first 3-LEG solo. I had made 2 prior solo xcountries, each 1 leg, but hadn't flown much in the past couple months and was feeling a bit rusty. I decided to extend my downwind and climbed out of the traffic pattern, made a 180 degree turn and came back to re- enter the left downwind again for 32. I still hadn't seen the plane that I had been in radio contact with, but did see a plane takeoff on 32 who had idented 32 as the runway he was departing from, and was reassured that I was using the correct runway. I announced my landing intentions on downwind, base, and final and noticed a crosswind from the left. The wind appeared to be at 10-15 KTS from 280 degrees magnetic. I was having some difficulty lining myself up on the center of the runway, but felt as though I had myself properly set up before touchdown. However, when I touched down, the plane had shifted its orientation to the left and was heading to the left. I lightly applied the brakes, which seemed to exacerbate the movement to the left. I decided to takeoff again as a way of trying to regain control and applied right rudder and full power. Before the plane gained adequate speed for takeoff, I went off the runway into a snow bank to the left. Perhaps a strong crosswind gust came up just then. Perhaps I thought I had applied full right rudder, but in actuality, I didn't. I think it would have been better had I not tried to takeoff again and, instead, tried to control the plane on the ground and stop it. I had been fearful that I might precipitate a ground loop if I had done that.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON XCOUNTRY FLT ENCOUNTERS XWINDS ON LNDG. VEERS INTO SNOW BANK.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING INTO AN ARPT IN S NEW HAMPSHIRE IN FEB. LOTS OF SNOW ON GND, PATCHY ICE RPTED ON RWY. I WAS ENTERING A L DOWNWIND ON A 45 DEG ANGLE FOR RWY 32 AND ANNOUNCED MY INTENTION ON THE CTAF. ANOTHER PLT RPTED THAT HE WAS ON THE DOWNWIND ALSO FOR RWY 32. HE ASKED IF I COULD SEE HIM. I LOOKED BUT COULD NOT SEE HIM. I RPTED 'NEGATIVE CONTACT.' HE STATED HE WAS ENTERING L BASE FOR 32. HE ASKED IF I HAD HIM. I LOOKED AND COULD NOT SEE HIM AGAIN. I RPTED 'NEGATIVE.' HE STATED 'WELL, YOU BETTER OPEN UP YOUR EYES, BUDDY.' I FELT PUT DOWN AND A BIT UNNERVED. THIS WAS THE FIRST LEG OF MY FIRST 3-LEG SOLO. I HAD MADE 2 PRIOR SOLO XCOUNTRIES, EACH 1 LEG, BUT HADN'T FLOWN MUCH IN THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS AND WAS FEELING A BIT RUSTY. I DECIDED TO EXTEND MY DOWNWIND AND CLBED OUT OF THE TFC PATTERN, MADE A 180 DEG TURN AND CAME BACK TO RE- ENTER THE L DOWNWIND AGAIN FOR 32. I STILL HADN'T SEEN THE PLANE THAT I HAD BEEN IN RADIO CONTACT WITH, BUT DID SEE A PLANE TKOF ON 32 WHO HAD IDENTED 32 AS THE RWY HE WAS DEPARTING FROM, AND WAS REASSURED THAT I WAS USING THE CORRECT RWY. I ANNOUNCED MY LNDG INTENTIONS ON DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL AND NOTICED A XWIND FROM THE L. THE WIND APPEARED TO BE AT 10-15 KTS FROM 280 DEGS MAGNETIC. I WAS HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY LINING MYSELF UP ON THE CTR OF THE RWY, BUT FELT AS THOUGH I HAD MYSELF PROPERLY SET UP BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. HOWEVER, WHEN I TOUCHED DOWN, THE PLANE HAD SHIFTED ITS ORIENTATION TO THE L AND WAS HDG TO THE L. I LIGHTLY APPLIED THE BRAKES, WHICH SEEMED TO EXACERBATE THE MOVEMENT TO THE L. I DECIDED TO TKOF AGAIN AS A WAY OF TRYING TO REGAIN CTL AND APPLIED R RUDDER AND FULL PWR. BEFORE THE PLANE GAINED ADEQUATE SPD FOR TKOF, I WENT OFF THE RWY INTO A SNOW BANK TO THE L. PERHAPS A STRONG XWIND GUST CAME UP JUST THEN. PERHAPS I THOUGHT I HAD APPLIED FULL R RUDDER, BUT IN ACTUALITY, I DIDN'T. I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER HAD I NOT TRIED TO TKOF AGAIN AND, INSTEAD, TRIED TO CTL THE PLANE ON THE GND AND STOP IT. I HAD BEEN FEARFUL THAT I MIGHT PRECIPITATE A GND LOOP IF I HAD DONE THAT.

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.