Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Student
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 7; Flight Crew Total 44; Flight Crew Type 44
Human-Machine Interface; Training / Qualification
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Object; Ground Excursion Runway; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Inflight Event / Encounter Object
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Human Factors; Weather
I made my first solo cross-country flight and I arrived in the vicinity of the airport and listened to the ASOS which reported sky conditions as clear and wind at 210 at 10 knots.  No gusts indicated.  The airport has two runways and I chose XX instead of XY; making the angle of the wind 50 off instead of 30 off.  Continuing to fly in the left pattern for Runway XX; I turned final.  The wind had turned gusty.  My airspeed indicator was varying five to ten knots on final; so I added a little power to stabilize.  I touched down on the right side of the center line and in trying to counter the effect of the gust factor; I forgot that a little power was still on.  Finally I was pretty straight on the runway and thinking I'm in control I put the throttle to idle trying to lose airspeed and stop; when a gust pushed me off the left side of the runway where I hit a runway light with my left main gear; and continued more to the left.  I added some power as a reflex to try to control my direction and applied right rudder in an attempt to get back to the runway; but instead continued straight until I came to a low hill on the side of Runway XX that I hit laterally making my airplane bank severely to the right.  The added power kept the plane from turning over and it came back down the hill toward the runway.  Finally; I got back on the runway and cut the power to idle.  I taxied to the FBO; stopped the engine and called my home base.In retrospect my first mistake was to choose the wrong runway; even though 10 knots of cross wind is not really much.  After I stopped the airplane at the FBO; I listened to the ASOS for the wind and it was 200; 14 knots gusting to 23 knots.  I believe the quick change of the wind made my landing a lot more difficult.  My second mistake was to not go-around and instead trying land.  After a one-hour flight without any problem; I guess I wanted my first cross-country solo flight to be good.  Finally; I think a possible lack of crosswind evaluation and more intense training and experience in a crosswind landing was a problem.
C172 student pilot on his first solo cross country experiences a runway excursion during landing in a gusty crosswind.