Student Pilot Porpoises During Landing After Tower Advisory

Incident Overview

A solo student pilot was practicing takeoff and landings at an accident airport. During her fifth and final landing, the control tower advised her to spend minimal time on the runway because a jet was second in line to land behind her. The student pilot reported that she subsequently rushed the landing and was too fast to level off during the flare. This resulted in the nose wheel touching down first, which initiated a porpoise. After the porpoise, she taxied off the runway without further incident.

Damage and Mechanical Condition

A postaccident examination revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.