Student Pilot Reports Wind Shear During Hard Landing

Incident Overview

A solo student pilot on a cross country flight reported encountering what felt like a down draft or wind shear while on final approach. The airplane touched down hard on the runway, bounced, and on the second touchdown, the nose wheel impacted the surface first. The student pilot then taxied the airplane to the ramp without further incident.

Postaccident Examination

A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Weather Conditions

A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 5 minutes before the accident, the wind was 040° at 5 knots. The airplane landed on runway 30.