On February 28, 2000, at 1130 central standard time, a Cessna 172K, single-engine airplane, N46469, departed the runway during the landing and struck a ditch near Alpine, Texas. The airplane was owned and operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 solo instructional flight. The student pilot, sole occupant, received minor injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight. A VFR flight plan was filed. The round robin flight originated at Alpine, Texas, with an en route stop at Odessa, Texas. The student pilot and his flight instructor reported to the FAA inspector that during the landing on runway 01 at the Alpine Municipal Airport, the airplane veered to the left, drifted into the grass, and struck a ditch. Winds were gusting from the west northwest. The student pilot had a total flight time of 71 hours of which 48 hours were in the accident make and model of aircraft. The FAA inspector found structural damage to the firewall and the fuselage.