What happened
On July 22, 2013, a student pilot was conducting his first solo flight in a Cessna 172S, registration N121CW, at New Smyrna Beach, Florida. During the initial landing phase, the pilot performed a flare that caused the aircraft to land heavily and bounce several times on the runway. While attempting to regain control of the aircraft following the bounces, the propeller made contact with the runway surface.
Following the strike, the pilot brought the aircraft to a complete stop and taxied off the active runway. The pilot then met with an instructor to inspect the aircraft. Although no immediate damage was observed during the initial inspection, and the aircraft was flown back to its home base, a subsequent maintenance inspection revealed that the firewall had buckled.
There were no injuries resulting from this event. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures prior to the impact.