Accident Overview
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a hard landing. The pilot, a student pilot, reported that the aircraft porpoised four times during the landing sequence.
Pilot Account
The pilot stated he was surprised by the magnitude of the second bounce, which he estimated to be 5-6 feet. In response, he added power to flatten the porpoise condition and retained the yoke in position. He noted a brief delay in moving one hand from the yoke to the throttle, combined with a delay in recognizing the magnitude of the bounce and porpoising effect. The pilot indicated that at the time he added power, he was already in the downward arc of the porpoise, and adding power did little in that instant but drive the front down faster before the elevators could provide lift. He described the landing as feeling like a hard three-point landing or having struck the nose wheel first. The pilot believes the propeller struck during the third contact, though he was not aware of it at the time.
Damage
The aircraft received substantial damage as a result of the hard landing. No further details on the specific components damaged were provided in the source.