NTSB Factual Report

The flight was the student pilot’s first supervised solo flight. The certified flight instructor (CFI) stated that the student had consistently displayed the ability to fly the closed traffic on previous flights. The student flew the pattern once without any control inputs or corrections by the CFI. The CFI and student’s son exited the airplane. The takeoff, crosswind, and downwind appeared normal and well controlled. The approach seemed normal with a nose attitude appropriate for landing. The student turned final with the flaps set to 30 degrees and airspeed at 85 knots. He felt that he was a little high, so he set the flaps to 40 degrees. He adjusted power and attitude to maintain airspeed. He thought that the approach was stabilized; he shifted his gaze forward and reduced power as he passed over the runway. He thought that he leveled a little high, and landed flat. The airplane bounced hard enough to dislodge his glasses. He raised the nose, bounced again, and landed nose down on the runway. He turned the fuel selector valve off, switched the master switch off, and exited the airplane unassisted without injury. The CFI thought that the flare was a little high; the airplane touched down main wheels first with the nose slightly up. The nose wheel then quickly followed, and the airplane bounced 2 to 3 feet. The airplane touched down again in a flat or slightly nose down attitude, simultaneously encountered a gust of wind, and bounced again. It came down in about a 20-degree nose low attitude on the third and final touchdown; the propeller and spinner hit first. The nose wheel and strut folded backwards under the cowling, and the firewall buckled. The airplane came to rest with the tail up and the engine stopped.

NTSB Probable Cause

The student pilot’s improper landing flare, resulting in a hard landing.