Incident Overview
During a student solo flight, the airplane experienced a hard landing after encountering a gust of wind just prior to the landing flare. The student pilot reported that during the touchdown, the left main landing gear and nose landing gear impacted the runway. Unaware that the airplane was damaged, the student pilot executed a touch-and-go and flew the airplane back to his home airport.
Damage Assessment
Examination of the airplane revealed that the firewall was buckled, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. No other damage was reported.
Pilot Actions
The student pilot continued the flight after the hard landing, performing a touch-and-go maneuver before returning to the home airport. The pilot did not report any anomalies during the subsequent flight.
Investigation Findings
The investigation confirmed that the hard landing was caused by a gust of wind encountered just before the flare. The student pilot's lack of awareness of the damage led to the continuation of the flight.