Piper PA-28-140 N55634 accident near Jean, Nevada

Probable cause

The student pilot did not maintain directional control during the landing roll.

NTSB analysis

During the landing roll, the student pilot, who was performing a series of touch-and-go landings and takeoffs, allowed the airplane to veer slightly to one side. While attempting to get the airplane realigned with the runway, he overcorrected. In his attempt to compensate for the overcorrection, he overcorrected in the opposite direction. This sequence of events resulted in a series of overcorrections followed by a loss of directional control, and the airplane departed the side of the runway. After departing the runway, the airplane made an abrupt turn of about 90 degrees, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing impacted the terrain, which resulted in structural damage to the wing. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction during the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR12CA142 for the full record.