What happened
The incident occurred during the landing phase of flight. The student pilot was operating the aircraft when it bounced upon touchdown. Rather than maintaining power to execute a proper go-around, the pilot reduced engine power after the second bounce. This action caused the aircraft to drift toward the right side of the runway.
In response to the drift, the pilot applied left rudder input. However, this control input resulted in the aircraft veering sharply to the left instead of correcting the drift. As the aircraft departed the paved surface, the nose gear partially collapsed under the stress. The collapse allowed the propeller and the tip of the left wing to strike the ground.
The investigation
Examination of the aircraft confirmed that the nose landing gear had sustained partial structural failure. Damage was also evident on the propeller assembly and the left wingtip, consistent with contact with the terrain following the loss of directional control.