Incident Overview
A student pilot was preparing for a fourth solo flight to practice takeoffs and landings. The pilot noted a wind from the southwest before departure. During the rollout from the second landing on Runway 18, the aircraft encountered a gust of wind from the right and became airborne. The student attempted to correct the situation, but the aircraft touched down hard, causing the nose gear to dig into the turf runway and collapse.
Wind Conditions
About 14 miles north at Grissom Air Force Base, the recorded wind at 0955 EST was from 280 degrees at 19 knots, gusting to 24 knots. No other weather information was specified.
Instructor Remarks
The student's certified flight instructor (CFI) stated that it was too windy for the student. The CFI reported that he did not know the student had initiated the solo flight because he was flying with another student at the time. The CFI had not entered any wind restrictions in the student pilot's logbook, though he noted that the student should not have taken off with more than a 10 mph wind or a 5 mph crosswind.
Aircraft Damage
The nose gear collapsed during the hard landing on the turf runway. No other damage items or injuries were reported.