What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was on approach when high winds caused it to land hard on its nose breaking the nose gear. (-23) 10:00 am started traffic pattern work solo, take off and landings weather vr crosswinds S-17 variable. Taking off-landing runway 05, using crab approach landing five not much control problems, landing ok. 9th and final approach not much difficulty, got over number. Experienced unusual lift just before leveling off to begin level approach, pushed nose down lift disappeared. Flare not soon enough to recover pitch nose wheel struck runway, collapsed nose gear began slide to grass infield, secured electrical, and fuel shut down, no one injured, notified NTSB after returning to FBO. (.4) the student pilot was on his second supervised solo flight. The flight instructor was positioned at the end of the runway with a handheld radio. He stated that the student pilot had completed eight landings and this landing was to a full stop. The student pilot reported that everything was the same as the previous landings until the airplane 'experienced an updraft.' The airplane ballooned up and when it came down, it bounced back into the a ir. The student pilot stated that he 'pushed down nose to correct for lifting,' and could not recover. The nose wheel struck the runway, collapsing the nose gear. The airplane slid into the grass infield and came to rest in an upright position. No mechanical problems were found with the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS ON APPROACH WHEN HIGH WINDS CAUSED IT TO LAND HARD ON ITS NOSE BREAKING THE NOSE GEAR. (-23) 10:00 AM STARTED TRAFFIC PATTERN WORK SOLO, TAKE OFF AND LANDINGS WEATHER VR CROSSWINDS S-17 VARIABLE. TAKING OFF-LANDING RUNWAY 05, USING CRAB APPROACH LANDING FIVE NOT MUCH CONTROL PROBLEMS, LANDING OK. 9TH AND FINAL APPROACH NOT MUCH DIFFICULTY, GOT OVER NUMBER. EXPERIENCED UNUSUAL LIFT JUST BEFORE LEVELING OFF TO BEGIN LEVEL APPROACH, PUSHED NOSE DOWN LIFT DISAPPEARED. FLARE NOT SOON ENOUGH TO RECOVER PITCH NOSE WHEEL STRUCK RUNWAY, COLLAPSED NOSE GEAR BEGAN SLIDE TO GRASS INFIELD, SECURED ELECTRICAL, AND FUEL SHUT DOWN, NO ONE INJURED, NOTIFIED NTSB AFTER RETURNING TO FBO. (.4) THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON HIS SECOND SUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS POSITIONED AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY WITH A HANDHELD RADIO. HE STATED THAT THE STUDENT PILOT HAD COMPLETED EIGHT LANDINGS AND THIS LANDING WAS TO A FULL STOP. THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT EVERYTHING WAS THE SAME AS THE PREVIOUS LANDINGS UNTIL THE AIRPLANE 'EXPERIENCED AN UPDRAFT.' THE AIRPLANE BALLOONED UP AND WHEN IT CAME DOWN, IT BOUNCED BACK INTO THE A IR. THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT HE 'PUSHED DOWN NOSE TO CORRECT FOR LIFTING,' AND COULD NOT RECOVER. THE NOSE WHEEL STRUCK THE RUNWAY, COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR. THE AIRPLANE SLID INTO THE GRASS INFIELD AND CAME TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.