Piper PA28 N5627W accident near Manassas, Virginia

Probable cause

The student pilot’s improper left rudder input after power application during the touch-and-go landing which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with airport lighting equipment. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the student.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor reported that, during the takeoff portion of a touch-an-go landing, the student applied an “extreme amount” of left rudder and the airplane began to veer left and impacted a light with the wingtip, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The instructor stated that he was not guarding the rudder pedals and attempted to assume control of the airplane, but the event happened very quickly and there was not enough time to correct and center the airplane over the runway. The instructor stated that during debriefing later, the student indicated that he lost control of the rudder.

Post-accident inspection of the rudder flight control system by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA22LA143 for the full record.