Narrative:

This was my first solo cross country. I was excited to have arrived at wst as planned. I noticed the runways were covered with patchy snow. I had listened to the ATIS and unicom; runway 32 was preferred due to the wind direction. I set up my traffic pattern for what I thought was runway 32. As I turned final I noticed the runway numbers covered with patchy snow and misidented the runway. I was actually on final for runway 7 which I thought was the top of numeral 2 for runway 32. I did not check my magnetic compass or directional gyro to confirm. Concerning the snow on the runway I did not think a little slush was going to affect my landing. By disregarding my flight planning and CFI's verbal briefing; not paying attention to existing wind conditions I lost directional control of the airplane. Student pilot on solo cross country after contacting unicom confuses runway; observes partial runway number covered by patchy snow. During rollout departs runway and skids across grassy area; hitting 3 taxiway lights. I taxied to ramp and contacted aircraft operators. CFI came to airport from home base. The excitement of arriving at my destination blurred my situational skills. Remediation training is planned with my flying club. Supplemental information from acn 725375: this incident concerns a student pilot; first solo cross country flight that I reviewed planning and endorsed student to conduct. The airplane is a PA28-161. Prior to authorizing this flight a review of the planning yielded a NOTAM for ZZZ that there was light snow on the runways and braking action was reported as fair. Based upon metars and ASOS (by phone); I believed that the runways would be clear of snow at the student's ETA. Prior to departure; the student was briefed and advised that if the runways did not 'look good' and if the student did not like what he saw; he should conduct a go around and return. Upon arriving in the area the student obtained both ASOS and unicom which indicated that runway 32 was the preferred runway. Subsequently; the student pilot reported that patchy snow was on the runways and that he could not see the runway numbers. The student performed a traffic pattern for runway 7 instead of runway 32. Upon landing on runway 7 the student lost directional control; departed the runway; struck 3 taxiway lights and a taxiway sign before coming to a stop. After securing the airplane the student notified CFI/club management and operations personnel at ZZZ. CFI; a&P/ai and club operations manager went to ZZZ. FSDO was notified by ZZZ operations. I interviewed my student. He related that he attempted the landing because he wanted 'the cross country to count' towards his requirements; that patchy snow was covering the runway numbers and that he thought the top of the '7' was the top of the number '2' for runway 32. Further my student related that he 'did not think a little slush would matter.' he confirmed that he did not verify the runway being approached using either the magnetic compass of directional gyro.' the student did not exercise situational awareness; the condition of the runways at ZZZ were not as planned and the student did not respond by returning. Prior to this incident the student had displayed the hazardous attitude of resignation and displayed a laissez-faire attitude. These issues had been addressed both by discussion and flight training and were resolved. Prior to this incident student had not displayed the hazardous attitudes of impulsivity or macho. He had always complied with CFI requests/limitations and was thought to be a careful student. I believe that the student; by his actions; fell victim to the operational pitfalls of mindset; wanting the 'cross country to count;' get-there-itis; impaired judgement by fixating on a goal and loss of situational awareness; failing to realize the hazard snow on runway would cause and not confirming the landing runway. As the CFI in this incident; I intend to review the literature on situational awareness and aeronautical decision making. I will attempt to identify the hazardous attitudes before the attitudes become hazardous. Along with the club operations manager a remedial plan will be conducted with this student.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 STUDENT PLT HAS A RWY EXCURSION DURING LNDG.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY. I WAS EXCITED TO HAVE ARRIVED AT WST AS PLANNED. I NOTICED THE RWYS WERE COVERED WITH PATCHY SNOW. I HAD LISTENED TO THE ATIS AND UNICOM; RWY 32 WAS PREFERRED DUE TO THE WIND DIRECTION. I SET UP MY TFC PATTERN FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 32. AS I TURNED FINAL I NOTICED THE RWY NUMBERS COVERED WITH PATCHY SNOW AND MISIDENTED THE RWY. I WAS ACTUALLY ON FINAL FOR RWY 7 WHICH I THOUGHT WAS THE TOP OF NUMERAL 2 FOR RWY 32. I DID NOT CHK MY MAGNETIC COMPASS OR DIRECTIONAL GYRO TO CONFIRM. CONCERNING THE SNOW ON THE RWY I DID NOT THINK A LITTLE SLUSH WAS GOING TO AFFECT MY LNDG. BY DISREGARDING MY FLT PLANNING AND CFI'S VERBAL BRIEFING; NOT PAYING ATTN TO EXISTING WIND CONDITIONS I LOST DIRECTIONAL CTL OF THE AIRPLANE. STUDENT PLT ON SOLO XCOUNTRY AFTER CONTACTING UNICOM CONFUSES RWY; OBSERVES PARTIAL RWY NUMBER COVERED BY PATCHY SNOW. DURING ROLLOUT DEPARTS RWY AND SKIDS ACROSS GRASSY AREA; HITTING 3 TXWY LIGHTS. I TAXIED TO RAMP AND CONTACTED ACFT OPERATORS. CFI CAME TO ARPT FROM HOME BASE. THE EXCITEMENT OF ARRIVING AT MY DEST BLURRED MY SITUATIONAL SKILLS. REMEDIATION TRAINING IS PLANNED WITH MY FLYING CLUB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 725375: THIS INCIDENT CONCERNS A STUDENT PLT; FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT THAT I REVIEWED PLANNING AND ENDORSED STUDENT TO CONDUCT. THE AIRPLANE IS A PA28-161. PRIOR TO AUTHORIZING THIS FLT A REVIEW OF THE PLANNING YIELDED A NOTAM FOR ZZZ THAT THERE WAS LIGHT SNOW ON THE RWYS AND BRAKING ACTION WAS RPTED AS FAIR. BASED UPON METARS AND ASOS (BY PHONE); I BELIEVED THAT THE RWYS WOULD BE CLR OF SNOW AT THE STUDENT'S ETA. PRIOR TO DEP; THE STUDENT WAS BRIEFED AND ADVISED THAT IF THE RWYS DID NOT 'LOOK GOOD' AND IF THE STUDENT DID NOT LIKE WHAT HE SAW; HE SHOULD CONDUCT A GAR AND RETURN. UPON ARRIVING IN THE AREA THE STUDENT OBTAINED BOTH ASOS AND UNICOM WHICH INDICATED THAT RWY 32 WAS THE PREFERRED RWY. SUBSEQUENTLY; THE STUDENT PLT RPTED THAT PATCHY SNOW WAS ON THE RWYS AND THAT HE COULD NOT SEE THE RWY NUMBERS. THE STUDENT PERFORMED A TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 7 INSTEAD OF RWY 32. UPON LNDG ON RWY 7 THE STUDENT LOST DIRECTIONAL CTL; DEPARTED THE RWY; STRUCK 3 TXWY LIGHTS AND A TXWY SIGN BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. AFTER SECURING THE AIRPLANE THE STUDENT NOTIFIED CFI/CLUB MGMNT AND OPS PERSONNEL AT ZZZ. CFI; A&P/AI AND CLUB OPS MGR WENT TO ZZZ. FSDO WAS NOTIFIED BY ZZZ OPS. I INTERVIEWED MY STUDENT. HE RELATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED THE LNDG BECAUSE HE WANTED 'THE XCOUNTRY TO COUNT' TOWARDS HIS REQUIREMENTS; THAT PATCHY SNOW WAS COVERING THE RWY NUMBERS AND THAT HE THOUGHT THE TOP OF THE '7' WAS THE TOP OF THE NUMBER '2' FOR RWY 32. FURTHER MY STUDENT RELATED THAT HE 'DID NOT THINK A LITTLE SLUSH WOULD MATTER.' HE CONFIRMED THAT HE DID NOT VERIFY THE RWY BEING APCHED USING EITHER THE MAGNETIC COMPASS OF DIRECTIONAL GYRO.' THE STUDENT DID NOT EXERCISE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS; THE CONDITION OF THE RWYS AT ZZZ WERE NOT AS PLANNED AND THE STUDENT DID NOT RESPOND BY RETURNING. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT THE STUDENT HAD DISPLAYED THE HAZARDOUS ATTITUDE OF RESIGNATION AND DISPLAYED A LAISSEZ-FAIRE ATTITUDE. THESE ISSUES HAD BEEN ADDRESSED BOTH BY DISCUSSION AND FLT TRAINING AND WERE RESOLVED. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT STUDENT HAD NOT DISPLAYED THE HAZARDOUS ATTITUDES OF IMPULSIVITY OR MACHO. HE HAD ALWAYS COMPLIED WITH CFI REQUESTS/LIMITATIONS AND WAS THOUGHT TO BE A CAREFUL STUDENT. I BELIEVE THAT THE STUDENT; BY HIS ACTIONS; FELL VICTIM TO THE OPERATIONAL PITFALLS OF MINDSET; WANTING THE 'XCOUNTRY TO COUNT;' GET-THERE-ITIS; IMPAIRED JUDGEMENT BY FIXATING ON A GOAL AND LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS; FAILING TO REALIZE THE HAZARD SNOW ON RWY WOULD CAUSE AND NOT CONFIRMING THE LNDG RWY. AS THE CFI IN THIS INCIDENT; I INTEND TO REVIEW THE LITERATURE ON SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND AERONAUTICAL DECISION MAKING. I WILL ATTEMPT TO IDENT THE HAZARDOUS ATTITUDES BEFORE THE ATTITUDES BECOME HAZARDOUS. ALONG WITH THE CLUB OPS MGR A REMEDIAL PLAN WILL BE CONDUCTED WITH THIS STUDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.