What happened
The accident occurred while a student pilot was conducting a solo cross-country flight. During the final phase of the approach to land, the pilot attempted to flare for touchdown but initiated the maneuver prematurely. This action caused the aircraft to balloon upward, losing airspeed and resulting in an aerodynamic stall.
According to the pilot's statement, the aircraft remained approximately 5 to 10 feet above the runway surface when the stall occurred. The plane subsequently descended rapidly and impacted the ground hard before the pilot could apply sufficient throttle to recover or execute a go-around.
The investigation
Investigation of the event focused on the pilot's account of the landing sequence. No mechanical failures were reported that would have contributed to the loss of control. The primary factor identified was the pilot's timing of the flare, which disrupted the energy state of the aircraft at a critical altitude.