Cessna 172R sustains substantial damage after bounced landing (N369ES)

What happened

The incident involved a Cessna 172R operating under student pilot supervision. The aircraft was conducting a landing operation when the pilot selected 20 degrees of wing flap extension, citing gusty wind conditions as the primary reason for this configuration choice. As the airplane crossed the threshold over the end of the runway, the pilot reduced engine power to idle and initiated a flare maneuver.

The aircraft bounced upon initial contact with the runway surface and became airborne once again. During the subsequent touchdown, the airplane contacted the ground nose wheel first rather than main gear first. Following this impact, the airplane veered sharply to the left side of the runway. The deviation resulted in the left wing or fuselage striking a taxiway sign located near the runway edge.

The collision with the sign caused substantial damage to the airframe. No injuries were reported among the occupants during the event.