Incident Overview
A student pilot was conducting her first solo flight after earlier practice with her instructor. During the final approach, she recognized the airplane was low and applied power to level off. Noticing increasing airspeed, she abruptly moved the control stick. The airplane contacted the runway, bounced, and upon a second contact, the nose landing gear collapsed.
Flight Details
The student pilot had flown earlier that day with her instructor, performing about five takeoffs and landings, including one go-around. She was then signed off for her first solo flight and instructed to execute full stop taxi back landings. The flight remained in the traffic pattern.
Witness Observation
The student pilot's certified flight instructor, who was watching and listening via a portable VHF transceiver, reported observing two bounces. The second bounce was higher than the first. He then lost sight of the airplane and heard the student pilot's voice on the radio, followed by a comment from the controller that help was on the way.
Post-Accident Inspection
The operator stated there was no mechanical failure or malfunction. A post-accident inspection by a Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector found no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction in the flight controls.