Incident Overview
A solo student pilot was conducting touch-and-go landing practice when her fourth landing resulted in a hard touchdown and a series of bounces, culminating in damage to the aircraft. The pilot reported that the landing was normal until the flare, during which she felt the airplane would float and added power. Believing she had the situation under control, she reduced the throttle to idle. Upon touchdown, the aircraft bounced.
Pilot Account
The pilot stated that after the initial bounce, she relaxed some back pressure. The aircraft then contacted the runway again, resulting in a hard bounce. During this second impact, she believed the propeller struck the runway. The airplane continued to bounce hard three or four more times before the pilot was able to bring it to a stop.
Taxi and Inspection
Following the incident, the pilot contacted the tower and received permission to taxi back to the ramp. An inspection of the aircraft revealed substantial damage to the firewall, as well as minor damage to the nose gear and propeller. No other anomalies were found.
Aircraft Condition
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall, while the nose gear and propeller received minor damage. The inspection did not reveal any other issues with the aircraft.