Following a period of dual instruction, the student was authorised to conduct a series of solo circuits and landings. On the first approach he lowered 30 degrees of flap and the aircraft touched down normally. After travelling about 50 metres, the aircraft veered sharply to the left, ran off the side of the strip, and came to rest in a shallow ditch just outside the boundary of the strip. The approach and landing had been conducted in light crosswind conditions. While compensating for these conditions, the pilot had probably inadvertently applied excessive forward pressure to the control column and a "wheel-barrow" situation developed. The elevator trim was found to be in the take-off position, which would have compounded the nose-down tendency during the landing roll.
