Incident Overview
A student pilot, who had accumulated 99 hours of flight time (including 2.4 hours of solo flight), was conducting a landing on runway 17. The pilot reported that during final approach, the airspeed was 61 knots. The intention was to perform a normal landing.
Sequence of Events
Upon reaching the runway, the pilot reduced the throttle to idle and initiated a flare. The airplane contacted the runway heavily and rebounded into the air. The pilot then lowered the airplane's nose and executed a second flare. During the subsequent touchdown, the pilot observed that the aircraft was positioned left of the centerline. To correct this, right rudder was applied.
Immediately after the rudder input, the nose gear failed, causing the nose of the airplane to drop onto the runway. The propeller then struck the ground, resulting in the propeller stopping and the airplane coming to a halt.
Post-Landing Actions
The student pilot completed the proper shutdown procedures and exited the airplane without injury. The reported wind at the time of the landing was from 200 degrees at 8 knots.