Incident Description
During a solo flight, a student pilot experienced porpoising while landing. After the landing, he repositioned the aircraft. Prior to takeoff, a fellow pilot who witnessed the porpoise contacted him via VHF radio, advising that the aircraft should be inspected before attempting another flight. The student pilot then taxied to the parking area, where the airport manager and an airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic inspected the aircraft.
Communication and Inspection
The student pilot called his flight instructor and reported the situation but only mentioned damage to the tail skid. The flight instructor advised the student to confer with the mechanic to determine whether the aircraft was airworthy. The student pilot subsequently departed and flew toward the airport where his flight school was based.
Shortly after departure, the airport manager, who had previously examined the aircraft, called the flight school. He conveyed the serious nature of the situation, informing the school that the aircraft had actually sustained damage to the firewall, tail skid, and rudder fairing. The flight instructor did not confer with anyone other than the student pilot to ensure the aircraft was airworthy.
Aftermath
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the aircraft prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.