Primary finding
Probable cause
The student pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the landing, which resulted in a hard landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The flight instructor reported that during landing, the student pilot landed the airplane on its main landing gear, the airplane bounced, and then landed flat on the main landing gear and nose wheel at the same time. At the end of the instructional lesson, the airplane landed at the flight school without further incident. A hard landing was reported to the maintenance department and a postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The flight instructor reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Source record
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that during landing, the student pilot landed the airplane on its main landing gear, the airplane bounced, and then landed flat on the main landing gear and nose wheel at the same time. At the end of the instructional lesson, the airplane landed at the flight school without further incident. A hard landing was reported to the maintenance department and a postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The flight instructor reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.