Accident
The director of aviation safety at a flight school reported that an airplane sustained substantial damage to its fuselage following a hard landing. The aircraft had been used by a pilot for a commercial training flight four days earlier. After completing the training flight, no discrepancies were noted.
Flight Data
Flight data management (FDM) records from the airplane indicated that the landing was flat on the runway, resulting in subsequent bounces. The hard landing and bouncing likely caused the structural damage found later.
Weather and Runway
At the time of the accident, the automated weather observation system at the airport reported wind from 280° at 3 knots. The pilot landed on runway 25R.
Mechanical Status
The director of aviation safety confirmed that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.