What happened
On September 1, 2012, a student pilot was completing a solo cross-country flight at Farmingdale, New York. While attempting to land the Cessna 172S, registered as N2409E, the pilot performed a flare that was too high. This maneuver led to a hard landing and a subsequent propeller strike. There were no injuries resulting from the event.
The investigation
An inspection conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the engine firewall and buckling of the lower fuselage. The pilot indicated that no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies occurred that would have prevented the aircraft from operating normally.