What happened
The aircraft touched down with significant force, causing it to bounce several times before the landing gear structure failed and collapsed. The pilot, a student aviator undertaking her first solo flight following 31 hours of dual instruction, reported that the accident was induced by her own handling of the controls. She confirmed there were no mechanical malfunctions or equipment failures involved in the incident.
The landing was executed with only one notch of flaps deployed. Environmental conditions at the time did not include wind as a contributing factor to the severity of the touchdown.
The investigation
Examination of the event focused on the pilot's account and the physical state of the aircraft post-impact. The pilot explicitly stated that the incident was student-induced, ruling out mechanical issues with the airframe or systems. No other technical anomalies were identified during the initial assessment of the accident sequence.
Findings
The primary factor in this event was the hard landing technique employed by the student pilot. The excessive vertical load generated upon touchdown exceeded the structural limits of the gear, leading to collapse after multiple bounces. The use of minimal flap configuration (one notch) may have contributed to the approach speed or attitude, though the pilot's handling remains the central cause. The aircraft involved was a Piper PA-38. There were no reported injuries to the occupants, who were not injured in the incident.