On May 29, 2004, approximately 1430 central daylight time, a Piper PA-38-112, N2484A, registered to and operated by a private individual, departed the runway on landing and impacted terrain at Carthage-Leake County Airport, Carthage, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the student pilot reported no injuries. The flight had originated from Raymond, Mississippi, at 1300 that same day. The student pilot stated he overflew the airport prior to landing and noted the wind was directly down runway 17. His approach to runway 17 was good with touchdown occurring on the centerline at 60 knots. Just as he touched down, a gust of wind from 260 degrees blew him into a ravine adjacent to the left side of the runway. A downdraft in the ravine forced the airplane into the ground incurring substantial damage. The student pilot did not report any mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident. A METAR weather observation taken 24 minutes after the accident from the Jackson International Airport (JAN) indicates that the wind was variable at 5 knots gusting to 15 knots. The JAN airport is located approximately 39 nautical miles and 223 degrees from the accident airport.