The solo student pilot reported that, during landing, prior to initiating the landing flare, he saw a "white bird" heading towards the airplane. He applied left rudder to avoid the bird, and the airplane drifted left of the runway centerline. He then "[pulled] the yoke back", but the left main landing gear impacted a taxiway sign, and the airplane settled on the adjacent grass.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.