Primary finding
Probable cause
The student pilot's improper flare and recovery from a bounced landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
According to the student pilot, while returning from his first solo cross-country flight the airplane landed flat and porpoised. After several bounces, the nose landing gear collapsed and the propeller struck the runway. The airplane came to a stop after the student pilot steered it onto a taxiway. The student pilot reported a total flight experience of 34 hours, and that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. Variable winds at 5 knots were present at the time of the accident.
Source record
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, while returning from his first solo cross-country flight, the airplane landed flat and porpoised. After several bounces, the nose landing gear collapsed and the propeller struck the runway. The airplane came to a stop after the student pilot steered it onto a taxiway. The student pilot reported a total flight experience of 34 hours, and that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. Variable winds at 5 knots were present at the time of the accident.