Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, porpoised landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot reported that during landing, the airplane encountered a light wind gust, ballooned, touched down hard, and porpoised several times. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage during the accident sequence. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.