What happened
The incident involved a student pilot conducting his second supervised solo flight. During the approach and landing phase, the aircraft touched down on the nosewheel before the main gear. This initial contact caused the aircraft to porpoise, or bounce repeatedly along the runway surface.
As the aircraft continued to bounce, the structural integrity of the landing gear was compromised. The repeated stress from the bouncing motion resulted in the collapse of the nose gear. According to the pilot's account, he had not received instruction on how to properly recover from a bounced landing situation.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanics of the landing and the pilot's training background. Examination of the event revealed that the primary issue was the initial nosewheel-first touchdown followed by the subsequent porpoising effect. The lack of recovery training for this specific scenario was identified as a contributing factor to the severity of the gear failure.
Findings
The accident was caused by a combination of improper landing technique and insufficient training. The pilot's inability to execute a go-around or properly control the aircraft after the initial bounce led to the nose gear collapse. This highlights the critical importance of teaching students how to handle bounced landings safely.