Incident Overview
A student pilot flying a solo cross-country flight experienced a bounced landing. According to the pilot's report, the aircraft touched down at an airspeed approximately 23 knots above the full flap stalling speed. Upon touchdown, the pilot's seat back reclined, causing him to fall backward and inadvertently pull on the control yoke.
Pilot's Account
The pilot stated that he did not know how to operate the seat recline mechanism. He reported that the seat back reclined at the moment of landing, which led to the backward movement and the subsequent yoke input. The pilot characterized the touchdown as occurring at a higher-than-normal speed.
Postaccident Testing
After the incident, cyclical and load testing of the seat was conducted to reproduce the described behavior. The testing did not duplicate the occurrence as the pilot had described it.
Conclusion
The incident involved a bounced landing on a solo cross-country flight. The pilot's report indicated a combination of excessive airspeed at touchdown and unexpected seat movement. However, postaccident testing was unable to replicate the seat malfunction.