Incident Overview
During a practice crosswind landing, the student pilot pushed the yoke forward while flaring. The flight instructor stated that he could not react in time to prevent the subsequent events. The airplane struck the runway nose gear first, causing the nose gear to collapse.
Damage and Fire
When the nose gear collapsed, the upper-scissor assembly penetrated the belly skin and ruptured the main fuel line between the low-point drain and the gascolator. Fuel from the ruptured line ignited, resulting in a fire that destroyed the airplane.
Aircraft and Training
The accident occurred during a training flight focused on crosswind landings. No further details about the aircraft or pilot qualifications were provided in the source.