Incident Summary
A student pilot scheduled for a solo cross-country flight departed with a passenger who held a private pilot certificate and a ground instructor rating. According to the passenger, the student had not flown for eight days and was afraid to fly the solo cross-country alone.
While landing at one of the en route airports, the student was high on final approach and touched down about midway down the runway. After beginning to apply brakes, a go-around was initiated with assistance from the passenger. During the takeoff, the left stabilizer struck an approach light.
Post-Landing Damage Assessment
After landing, a 2 1/2 inch hole was found in the stabilizer. The passenger and pilot covered the hole with duct tape and proceeded with the cross-country flight. After returning to the home airport, two stress cracks were found in the rear spar of the stabilizer.