Incident Details
A student pilot on a solo cross-country flight was landing when the accident occurred. According to the student pilot's report, windshear was encountered approximately 3 feet above runway 27, leading to a loss of control. The airplane touched down on the nose wheel and impacted the runway hard. The impact resulted in a serious injury to the student pilot and minor damage to the airplane.
Witness Account
A certificated flight instructor who witnessed the accident reported that the airplane was at an altitude of "about 20-30 feet" when it began an "abrupt descent." The airplane then struck the runway with significant force.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, winds reported at an airport located 12 miles southwest of the accident site were variable from 330 degrees to 060 degrees at 7 knots.
Mechanical and Pilot Information
Neither the student pilot nor a Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported any mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane. The student pilot had accumulated 87 hours of flight experience in the same make and model as the accident airplane.