This May 2007 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Aircraft: Cessna 172.
Location: Lantana, Fla.
Injuries: None.
Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The student pilot did four full stop landings with the instructor onboard. The instructor endorsed the student for solo flight, then exited the airplane. The student’s first solo trip in the pattern was uneventful.
The student did a go around to give way to landing traffic. The second pattern went well and the landing was smooth. However, during the roll out the student applied heavy brake pressure and the airplane veered to the right. The Cessna went off the runway and into the grass. The airplane’s left main landing gear collapsed.
Probable cause: The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll.
Did the instructor at any time during training show the student the reaction of this aircraft to light braking as compared to heavy braking. Instructors all too quickly assume you can transition a student to touch and go takeoff and landings when in the real world of flying, the ultimate goal is to fly a cross-country to another airport and land to a full stop. INSTRUCTORS: DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING !! You have got to ” KNOW YOUR AIRCRAFT ” ! They all react in different ways. There may have not been anything wrong with this aircraft; but then again it may have had more wear on the brakes on one side as compared to the other. These are “STUDENTS”!