Incident Overview
A student pilot's first solo flight was supervised by a flight instructor who had exited the airplane after ensuring the student's readiness. The instructor used a hand-held radio to communicate while observing from the ground. According to the instructor, winds were light and variable at the time.
Flight Details
The student pilot initially made a good landing, but according to the student, a gust caused the airplane to float up high, leading to a ballooning effect. The airplane then settled onto the runway surface on the main landing gear and subsequently bounced again. The instructor reported that the student did not add power during this sequence.
Outcome
On the third bounce, the nose of the airplane veered left, and the nose impacted the grass. This impact collapsed the landing gear and bent the propeller. According to the flight instructor, there were no preaccident anomalies with the airplane or any of its systems.