NTSB Factual Report

The 17-hour solo student pilot lost control of the tricycle gear single-engine airplane while attempting to land on runway 17, a 6,000-foot long by 100-foot wide runway, during his third landing of his first supervised solo flight. The pilot reported that the airplane touched down on the main wheels at a higher than normal speed and the airplane subsequently pitched down and impacted on the nose landing gear. The aircraft then entered porpoise until the nose gear collapsed and the propeller struck the ground. The engine firewall assembly sustained structural damage. The aircraft came to rest on the left side of the runway in the upright position. Weather at the time of the accident was reported as clear skies, with winds from 190 degrees at 11 knots, and density altitude was calculated at 3,500 feet.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing resulting in a porpoise.