Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft involved was an EV-97 Teameurostar UK, registration G-CEND, manufactured in 2007. It was powered by a single Rotax 912-UL piston engine. The pilot, aged 61, held a National Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 878 flying hours, of which 21 were on type. In the preceding 90 days, he had flown 27 hours, and 11 hours in the last 28 days.
Training Background
The pilot, previously qualified as a flex wing pilot, was undergoing a conversion course to fly fixed wing aircraft. He had completed 21 hours of training for this purpose. On the day of the accident, he had flown three circuits with his instructor, performing to a standard sufficient for the instructor to authorize his first solo flight.
History of the Flight
The weather was described as "good" with light winds along the runway. After a briefing, the student took off to fly a solo circuit. The flight progressed without issue until the landing.
Landing and Aftermath
On landing, the aircraft touched down firmly on the main wheels and bounced. The student maintained idle power and attempted to control the bounce using the flying controls. However, the aircraft bounced twice more, each time contacting the runway first on the nosewheel. The aircraft eventually settled, and the student brought it to a halt, switching off the engine. He was uninjured.
An initial inspection revealed no damage, but a subsequent examination identified damage to the engine firewall. The student recalled little of the events after the initial bounce but believed he either over-controlled the aircraft or applied controls in the wrong sense, reverting to inputs natural for a flex wing aircraft. He noted that he had practiced bounced landing procedures during training with his instructor and considered he should have applied power on the first bounce.