Incident Overview
A student pilot with 64 total flight hours lost control of the airplane after it bounced during a hard landing on runway 15. The pilot had deployed full flaps shortly after turning final approach. Believing the airplane was too high on final, he elected to perform a slip to increase the rate of descent while attempting to maintain 70 knots. As the airplane neared the runway, the pilot discontinued the slip, but a high rate of descent had already developed, resulting in a hard landing.
Sequence of Events
Following the hard landing, the airplane bounced, and a porpoise developed. Examination of the aircraft revealed that the nose gear tire had been blown during the hard landing. Further inspection showed that the engine firewall had sustained structural damage.
Weather Conditions
The wind at the time of the incident was reported from 190 degrees at 18 knots.