NTSB Factual Report

The student pilot was conducting his first solo flight in the Cessna 172P, and was on approach to land on runway 24, a 5,001-foot-long, asphalt runway. He reported that the airplane touched down a little harder than he expected, bounced, and began to porpoise. The airplane subsequently came to a stop on the runway; however, the firewall, and nose landing gear were substantially damaged. The student pilot reported that he did not experience any mechanical problems with the airplane, and he had accumulated about 45 hours of total flight time. Winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident, were from 240 degrees at 6 knots.

NTSB Probable Cause

The student pilot's improper flare and failure to recover from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing.