NTSB Factual Report

The student pilot reported that she landed after completing her first solo cross-country flight without incident. She then elected to takeoff to practice takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern. During the subsequent landing, the airplane touched down hard and bounced before coming to rest on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall, and skin deformation just forward of the pilot’s side door. The student pilot reported that she did not experience any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB Probable Cause

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