Accident Sequence
The student pilot departed for a local training flight and practiced maneuvers for 45 minutes. After completing two landings at another airport, he returned to his home airport for additional landings. The student pilot completed two landings and was on the third when the accident occurred.
The runway measured 2,533 feet in length with a 539-foot displaced threshold. The student pilot recalled that on final approach, everything was the same as the two previous landings, except he was a little higher and a little faster. With 30 degrees of flaps selected, the student pilot pushed forward on the yoke, causing the airspeed to increase to about 70 knots.
The airplane bounced at midfield, then settled back to the runway, where the student pilot applied heavy braking. The airplane skidded off the end of the runway and entered a freshly plowed garden. The nose gear sank into the soft ground, collapsed, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted.
Aircraft Damage
The nose gear collapsed, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the nose section and propeller. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airframe or engine.