Incident Overview
A flight instructor and a student pilot were conducting a local training flight. After an uneventful period in the practice area, they returned to the airport for landing practice.
Flight Sequence
The student pilot attempted the first landing but flared too high and executed a go-around. The flight instructor then demonstrated a landing and subsequent takeoff. Control was transferred back to the student pilot for the next traffic pattern and landing attempt.
During the landing flare, the student pilot abruptly moved the yoke full forward. The flight instructor reported that his reaction time was not sufficient to completely correct the control inputs. This resulted in a hard nose wheel landing, followed by a pronounced bounce. The instructor then aborted the landing, and the airplane performed as normally expected afterward.
At the instructor's request, air traffic control personnel observed the nose landing gear from the tower during a flyby and reported no anomalies.
Post-Landing Inspection
After the flight landed, the nose wheel was found to be flat. Further examination by maintenance personnel revealed that the engine firewall was wrinkled and required major repair.
No other damage or issues were reported.