Primary finding
Probable cause
The student pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot of the special light sport airplane reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings and had completed six, when the air traffic controller requested that he perform a short approach. The student pilot was aligned with the arrival runway numbers when he turned base leg. According to the student pilot, he forced the airplane down and made a hard landing. The airplane then bounced at least once and when it struck the ground the final time, the nose gear collapsed. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the firewall and engine mounts. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
Source record
Factual narrative
The student pilot of the special light sport airplane reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings and had completed six, when the air traffic controller requested that he perform a short approach. The student pilot was aligned with the arrival runway numbers when he turned base leg. According to the student pilot, he forced the airplane down and made a hard landing. The airplane then bounced at least once and when it struck the ground the final time, the nose gear collapsed. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the firewall and engine mounts. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.