What happened
On July 26, 2011, a student pilot was performing a landing attempt in an AERO SP Z O O AT-4 LSA, registration N1277K. During the approach, the aircraft's rate of descent increased, leading to a hard landing and a subsequent bounce.
Prior to touchdown, the aircraft nosed over, causing the propeller to strike the runway. This impact caused the nose landing gear to buckle and collapse. The aircraft then skidded to a stop on the runway. There were no injuries resulting from the accident. The weather at the time was VMC with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds at 300 degrees at 3 knots.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the aircraft was conducted and did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.