On July 4, 2002, at 0805 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N8081G, was substantially damaged during a landing at T.F. Green State Airport (PVD), Providence, Rhode Island. The certificated private pilot and certificated student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight which originated at Republic Airport (FRG), Farmingdale, New York. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. In a telephone interview, the private pilot stated that the pilots intended to fly a cross-country flight from Farmingdale to Providence, then return to Farmingdale. The student pilot was flying the airplane into Providence, and had configured the airplane for landing on runway 23L. During the landing, the airplane bounced, and a gust of wind blew the airplane to the left. The airplane touched down again, and departed the left side of the runway. The private pilot also reported that he received a weather briefing prior to the flight, which forecasted the winds to be from 230 degrees. In addition, there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. In a telephone conversation, the student pilot reported that while on final approach to runway 23L, the airplane "caught a crosswind" on its right side. He then "lost control," and the airplane skidded off the left side of the runway. The student pilot also stated that he was at the controls at the time of the accident, and that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The winds reported at Providence, at 0751, were from 300 degrees at 7 knots. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the student pilot contacted the private pilot and asked him if he wanted to accompany him on a cross-country flight. The private pilot had assumed that the student pilot was a private pilot. The private pilot reported 250 hours of total flight experience for his most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third class medical certificate, issued on June 27, 1991. The student pilot reported 60 hours of total flight experience for his most recent FAA third class medical certificate, issued on August 4, 2001. Examination of the student pilot's logbook revealed that his last solo endorsement expired on June 30, 2002, and he did not have an endorsement for solo cross-country flights.