Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 39; Flight Crew Total 129; Flight Crew Type 129
Situational Awareness
Ground Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Ground Excursion Runway; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Aircraft; Human Factors; Weather
I executed a nearly perfect landing in a 6 kt crosswind (according to ATIS received about 15 minutes prior) as part of a touch & go. I landed first on the upwind main then the downwind main and finally the nose wheel. I maintained a slight amount of left aileron input to mitigate the crosswind. While transitioning the aircraft from the landing to the takeoff; the plane suddenly turned about 60 degrees to the left and began to skid. The airplane did not respond to the right rudder input I applied in an effort to stay on the runway. I skidded off the runway in an instant and into a grassy area that separates the runway from the taxiway. I was able to avoid striking anything and exited the grassy area onto the taxiway at an intersection. [Visual indications] show parallel skid marks from approximately the center of the runway to the point where I entered the grass. I am shaken-up but unharmed and I did no damage to the airport or the plane.I am unsure what caused this to happen but I did note that ATC advised the aircraft landing behind me of a 15 kt crosswind. I am unsure how to prevent a future occurrence as I don't know if this was the result of a mechanical issue or a wind gust that accelerated as it passed between; over and around the hangars adjacent to the parallel taxiway. I have made plenty of crosswind landings but plan to go up with my CFII on days that approach the 15 kt demonstrated crosswind capability of the 172 to see if there may be something that I can refine in my crosswind landings.
C172 pilot reported a loss of control during a touch-and-go that resulted in a runway excursion possibly due to an unanticipated increase in crosswind.