Incident Description
A student pilot experienced a bounced landing that led to a loss of directional control, causing the airplane to veer off the runway and nose over. The event occurred during a landing attempt at Rio Vista, California.
Sequence of Events
During the approach, the student pilot realized the crosswind was very strong, making control difficult, and decided to execute a go-around. On the second approach attempt, the pilot decreased the airplane's airspeed to approximately 60 knots. The pilot still found the crosswind to be very strong, and the airplane remained difficult to control.
Shortly thereafter, the airplane made contact with the runway and bounced four times. The student pilot lost directional control, and the airplane veered off the side of the runway onto the grass median and nosed over.
Preflight Briefing
During the preflight briefing with the certified flight instructor (CFI), the instructor had advised the student pilot to divert to another airport if he could not complete the landing into Rio Vista, California.
Mechanical Status
The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.