What happened
The incident occurred during a landing phase of flight. The student pilot was operating the aircraft when attempting to land on runway 26. Upon touchdown, the airplane contacted the ground in a flat attitude rather than the typical three-point configuration. This improper contact caused the aircraft to bounce approximately four times before it finally came to rest on the runway surface.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed specific areas of damage. The propeller sustained impact damage. Additionally, the nose wheel assembly and the firewall were damaged during the sequence of bounces. There was no indication of any pre-existing mechanical failure or malfunction that contributed to the event. The pilot did not report any issues with the airplane prior to the landing attempt.
Findings
The pilot's experience level appears relevant to the outcome. She reported having a total of 45 hours of flight time. Of those hours, 22 were logged specifically in this make and model of aircraft. The bounce sequence suggests difficulty in controlling the descent rate or flare timing during the final approach.