Accident Overview
A 79-hour solo student pilot was conducting a landing on Runway 17. The pilot reported an indicated airspeed of 70 knots with the airplane configured with 20 degrees of flaps on final approach. According to the pilot's NTSB Form 6120.1, the airplane crossed over trees at the north end of the runway and was "still descending in a nose-down attitude, about to round-out when the airplane literally dropped out of the air."
Sequence of Events
The airplane landed hard and bounced in a nose-down attitude, and the pilot was unable to recover. During the subsequent impact with the runway, the nose gear collapsed. The airplane skidded down the runway approximately 900 feet before coming to rest on the main landing gear and the bottom of the engine cowling.
Damage Assessment
The aircraft sustained structural damage to the engine firewall. No other damage items were specified in the pilot's report.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the incident, weather was reported as clear skies, wind from 170 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 10 miles, temperature 21 degrees Celsius, dew point 12 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.99 inches of Mercury.