Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 80; Flight Crew Total 3500; Flight Crew Type 1800
Situational Awareness
Ground Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Ground Event / Encounter Object; Ground Excursion Runway
Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Human Factors
During landing; student pilot had the controls; under instruction. Student pilot made an otherwise good approach from the pattern; to the runway centerline. As student pilot began round-out; and to gradually reduce the power; the student pilot unexpectedly veered to the left. Aircraft touched down on the grass and instructor applied corrective pedal in an attempt to avoid striking runway edge lights. As aircraft decelerated and corrected towards runway centerline; the edge of the left landing gear struck and knocked over two of the runway edge lights. Aircraft was inspected to have no damage. Notification was made to the airport manager the following morning.
C172 flight instructor reported the student pilot drifted and touched down adjacent to the runway edge. While correcting back to the runway; contact was made with runway edge lights.