Primary finding
Probable cause
The student pilot’s improper remedial response to a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot reported that after completing 3 three takeoffs and landings with his instructor, he departed on the supervised solo instructional flight. He completed one traffic pattern, determined he was “a little high” and performed a go go-around. During the second approach, he said that at 60 knots, the nosewheel struck the runway first. His remedial action was to “pull back on the control yoke to correct the attitude of the plane” but the nose “ballooned” up and the airplane landed hard on the nose landing gear, separating it, and substantially damaging the airplane. The operator and the flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have prevented normal operation.