Incident Overview
A student pilot was conducting a landing on runway 18 right after receiving instructions from an air traffic controller to fly a right base and then a clearance to land. The student stabilized the approach at 4 nautical miles from the runway with flaps deployed and a constant airspeed of 65 knots.
Sequence of Events
As the airplane descended over the runway's end, the pilot's gaze shifted to the runway markings directly ahead. The airplane bounced on its main landing gear. In response, the pilot added power to re-stabilize the approach and landing. Subsequently, the airplane bounced again and then touched down hard in a nose-low attitude.
Post-Landing Situation
After the hard landing, the student pilot noticed that the right rudder pedal had limited travel. Nevertheless, the pilot taxied the airplane off the active runway to the fixed base operator, where the airplane was secured and the pilot exited.
Pilot Statement
The student pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board that no mechanical failures or malfunctions occurred in the airplane or its systems prior to the accident.