What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Flared high. Dropped to runway. Bounced. Porpoised. Collapsed nose gear bent fuselage. (-23) the student pilot was on a cross-country flight from plymouth, Indiana, to Rantoul, Illinois. While landing on runway 27 at Rantoul, Illinois, the airplane contacted the runway hard on the main landing gear, then bounced back into the air and returned to the runway nose wheel first. Damage included a bent firewall and twisted fuselage from the firewall to the left door post. The nose wheel tire was ruptured and the engine cowling was twisted to the left.
As the FAA filed it
FLARED HIGH. DROPPED TO RUNWAY. BOUNCED. PORPOISED. COLLAPSED NOSE GEAR BENT FUSELAGE. (-23) THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM PLYMOUTH, INDIANA, TO RANTOUL, ILLINOIS. WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 27 AT RANTOUL, ILLINOIS, THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE RUNWAY HARD ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, THEN BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR AND RETURNED TO THE RUNWAY NOSE WHEEL FIRST. DAMAGE INCLUDED A BENT FIREWALL AND TWISTED FUSELAGE FROM THE FIREWALL TO THE LEFT DOOR POST. THE NOSE WHEEL TIRE WAS RUPTURED AND THE ENGINE COWLING WAS TWISTED TO THE LEFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.