Background
A flight instructor and a student pilot were practicing short field landings. The first landing was uneventful.
Accident Sequence
During the approach for a second landing, while on short final, the airplane began sinking rapidly. The flight instructor responded by advising the student, "full power." However, the student pilot thought the instruction was "pull power" and subsequently reduced engine power to idle. The airplane impacted the runway and bounced back into the air. The flight instructor then took control and aborted the landing.
Inspection
A subsequent inspection by maintenance personnel revealed that the nose landing gear and engine firewall had been substantially damaged during the landing.
Operator Response
Following the accident, the operator reemphasized to their flight instructors the importance of utilizing standard phraseology during training flights, including use of the phrase "go around" to indicate the necessity to abort a landing.