NTSB Factual Report

According to the private pilot, as she approached to land on the runway at the large, well lit, international airport, the Cessna 172SP was "a little high, a little fast, and I flared higher than usual." The airplane landed hard, bounced, and collapsed the nose landing gear, which resulted in substantial damage. According to the pilot, it was her first night solo flight at this airport, and the purpose of the flight was preparation for an additional rating. A review of her logbook revealed that she had accumulated 160 total hours of flight experience, of which 22 hours were at night. She had performed only one night landing with an instructor 2 nights before the accident flight, and the most recent night landing before the instructional flight was 64 days prior.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's improper flare at night, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of recent night experience.