Incident Overview
A student pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings when, during the sixth approach, a simulated short field landing resulted in a hard landing that substantially damaged the airplane's firewall.
Pilot's Account
According to the student pilot, the airplane was "a little high" on the approach. To correct, the pilot decreased throttle and reduced pitch while maintaining an indicated airspeed of 65 knots. The pilot reported that the airplane was over the runway, and just before initiating the flare, the airplane "suddenly impacted" the runway in a nose-low attitude.
Aircraft Damage
The hard landing caused substantial damage to the firewall. No other damage was reported.
Investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events as described by the student pilot. The specific cause of the hard landing was not determined in the available information.