NTSB Factual Report

The airplane landed hard during the pilot's attempted landing. In a written statement, the pilot, who held a student certificate, reported that the purpose of the flight was to perform solo practice stop-and-go takeoffs and landings. The pilot configured the airplane for a practice short-field landing and maneuvered into a crabbed configuration to position the nose to compensate for the crosswind conditions. While on short final of the traffic pattern to runway 4L, he realized that the airplane was below the glide path of the runway and began to flare in an effort to reduce the rapid rate of descent. The airplane landed hard on the left main landing gear and abruptly veered to the left of the runway centerline. The airplane stopped at the edge of the runway surface and the pilot taxied back to the tie down area without mishap.

The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine. The left wing sustained substantial damage during impact. The pilot estimated that at the time of the accident the wind conditions were from 310 degrees at a velocity of about 8 knots. The pilot had accumulated a total flight experience of 58.7 hours, all in the same make and model as the accident airplane; he had amassed 18.4 hours in the capacity of pilot-in-command.

NTSB Probable Cause

the student pilot's failure to maintain the proper glide path and misjudged flare, which resulted in a hard landing.