Flight Details
A student pilot was conducting his final required solo cross-country flight. The flight to the first destination was uneventful. The pilot entered the left-hand traffic pattern at the non-towered airport.
Approach and Landing
The pilot reported that his base-to-final turn was slightly wide, placing the airplane to the right of the extended runway centerline. He also reported being slightly high on final approach. He corrected his flight path and was satisfied with the airplane's position for a normal landing. The pilot used full flaps, as was his normal habit. The airplane landed slightly beyond the planned point, but not far enough down the runway to cause concern.
Porpoising and Recovery
The touchdown was hard, causing the airplane to bounce. The pilot re-flared to correct the situation. The airplane began porpoising and bounced at least two more times before the pilot regained control and kept it on the ground. During the bounces, the pilot did not adjust the power or consider aborting the landing attempt. Although he had learned about porpoising in ground training, he had never experienced it before and did not immediately recall or implement the flight school's recommended corrective action, which was a go-around.
Damage
After taxiing to a parking spot, the pilot discovered that the airplane was substantially damaged. The firewall, cockpit floor, and several fuselage skins were buckled, and elevator travel was restricted. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.