What happened
The incident involved a student pilot conducting a solo cross-country flight. During the final approach and landing phase, the aircraft exhibited unusual behavior upon touchdown. The pilot reported that the airplane ballooned, or bounced, off the runway surface rather than settling firmly. In response to this unstable landing, the pilot decided to abort the landing and initiated a go-around procedure.
As the aircraft climbed out after the aborted landing, it began to settle prematurely instead of gaining altitude as expected. The airplane drifted laterally toward the side of the runway. During this descent, the wingtip made contact with the ground. The impact caused the aircraft to lose stability completely, resulting in a cartwheeling motion along the surface. This sequence of events led to significant damage to the airframe.
The investigation
An examination of the pilot's recent flight history revealed that the student had logged only 1.7 hours of flight time within the preceding 90 days prior to the incident. This low frequency of recent practice may have contributed to the handling difficulties experienced during the critical landing and go-around phases.
Findings
The primary factors leading to the accident were the initial ballooning upon landing, the subsequent loss of control during the climbout, and the resulting ground contact with the wingtip. The limited recent flight experience of the pilot was noted as a relevant detail in the context of the incident.