Narrative:

How the problem arose: as a student pilot, I was practicing touch-and-goes, sometimes landing with excessive speed (65-70 KTS) as the winds were gusty and variable. The windsock at the approach end of runway 29 was indicating winds from 110 degrees, and at the departure end, 320 degrees, with wind speeds of 10-12 KTS. When the wheels touched the runway, they were not aligned parallel to the centerline. Contributing factors: hot day, variable wind, pilot fatigue. How is was discovered: shortly after touchdown, the plane veered to the right. I attempted to control the direction using ailerons rather than rudder, ran off the runway and through a patch of weeds between 2 txwys on the east side of runway 29. The plane was not damaged. Corrective actions: I applied brakes and steered between signage and runway and taxiway lighting. In the future I will use rudder control to maintain directional control of the aircraft on the ground. Perceptions, judgements, decisions: I did not automatically use rudder control to correct the drift and to align the landing aircraft with the centerline. After the plane started to veer right, I mistakenly believed that I could bring the plane to a full stop before leaving the runway, but lift and momentum were too great, and I automatically turned the yoke rather than pressing on the rudder pedals. Factors affecting the quality of human performance. I had slept poorly the night before and had driven 234 mi to the airport, leaving home at XA00. I also felt stressed, distraction by the high temperatures at the airport and in the aircraft, and had not flown solo since my 'big cross country' flight on apr/xa/01. Actions or inactions: clearly I reverted to 'driving the car' with ailerons as I felt the plane veering right. I failed to make corrective rudder control actions to keep the plane on the runway. A more consistent weekly flying schedule and attention to rudder control on the ground, plus a good night's sleep would undoubtedly help to prevent recurrence of such an incident. Immediately after landing, I discussed the incident with my flight instructor who suggested I submit this form and that I fly tomorrow for additional training in rudder control. Thankfully no one was hurt and no property damage done, but it was a lesson that I'll remember for the rest of my flying career!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 STUDENT PLT LOST CTL DURING LNDG ROLL AND WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY AND STOPPING ACFT WITH NO DAMAGE TO EITHER THE ACFT OR ARPT SIGNS OR LIGHTS.

Narrative: HOW THE PROB AROSE: AS A STUDENT PLT, I WAS PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GOES, SOMETIMES LNDG WITH EXCESSIVE SPD (65-70 KTS) AS THE WINDS WERE GUSTY AND VARIABLE. THE WINDSOCK AT THE APCH END OF RWY 29 WAS INDICATING WINDS FROM 110 DEGS, AND AT THE DEP END, 320 DEGS, WITH WIND SPDS OF 10-12 KTS. WHEN THE WHEELS TOUCHED THE RWY, THEY WERE NOT ALIGNED PARALLEL TO THE CTRLINE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: HOT DAY, VARIABLE WIND, PLT FATIGUE. HOW IS WAS DISCOVERED: SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE PLANE VEERED TO THE R. I ATTEMPTED TO CTL THE DIRECTION USING AILERONS RATHER THAN RUDDER, RAN OFF THE RWY AND THROUGH A PATCH OF WEEDS BTWN 2 TXWYS ON THE E SIDE OF RWY 29. THE PLANE WAS NOT DAMAGED. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: I APPLIED BRAKES AND STEERED BTWN SIGNAGE AND RWY AND TXWY LIGHTING. IN THE FUTURE I WILL USE RUDDER CTL TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL OF THE ACFT ON THE GND. PERCEPTIONS, JUDGEMENTS, DECISIONS: I DID NOT AUTOMATICALLY USE RUDDER CTL TO CORRECT THE DRIFT AND TO ALIGN THE LNDG ACFT WITH THE CTRLINE. AFTER THE PLANE STARTED TO VEER R, I MISTAKENLY BELIEVED THAT I COULD BRING THE PLANE TO A FULL STOP BEFORE LEAVING THE RWY, BUT LIFT AND MOMENTUM WERE TOO GREAT, AND I AUTOMATICALLY TURNED THE YOKE RATHER THAN PRESSING ON THE RUDDER PEDALS. FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE. I HAD SLEPT POORLY THE NIGHT BEFORE AND HAD DRIVEN 234 MI TO THE ARPT, LEAVING HOME AT XA00. I ALSO FELT STRESSED, DISTR BY THE HIGH TEMPS AT THE ARPT AND IN THE ACFT, AND HAD NOT FLOWN SOLO SINCE MY 'BIG XCOUNTRY' FLT ON APR/XA/01. ACTIONS OR INACTIONS: CLRLY I REVERTED TO 'DRIVING THE CAR' WITH AILERONS AS I FELT THE PLANE VEERING R. I FAILED TO MAKE CORRECTIVE RUDDER CTL ACTIONS TO KEEP THE PLANE ON THE RWY. A MORE CONSISTENT WKLY FLYING SCHEDULE AND ATTN TO RUDDER CTL ON THE GND, PLUS A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY HELP TO PREVENT RECURRENCE OF SUCH AN INCIDENT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG, I DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT WITH MY FLT INSTRUCTOR WHO SUGGESTED I SUBMIT THIS FORM AND THAT I FLY TOMORROW FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN RUDDER CTL. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS HURT AND NO PROPERTY DAMAGE DONE, BUT IT WAS A LESSON THAT I'LL REMEMBER FOR THE REST OF MY FLYING CAREER!

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.