What happened
On July 25, 2012, a Cessna 172N, registration N738AJ, was being operated by a student pilot in Ashland, Oregon. The pilot was engaged in flight training specifically focused on practicing short-field landing techniques.
During the third landing attempt of the session, the pilot performed an improper flare. This action caused the aircraft to land heavily, leading to a bounce and a porpoising motion. The impact resulted in structural damage, specifically bending and wrinkling the lower half of the aircraft's firewall.
There were no injuries resulting from this event. The weather conditions at the time were Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) with 10 statute mile visibility.