What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 19 November 2016 at 19:20Z a Cessna 172, N5249R, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Woodbine airport, Woodbine NJ. The solo student was uninjured. The student states that while practicing solo takeoffs and landings he was caught by a gust of wind from the right, causing the aircraft to balloon. He didn't think the balloon was excessive, maybe 15 feet, so he tried to force the airplane back down. In doing so, he drifted left of center and impacted the runway hard enough to cause a propeller strike and buckle the nose landing gear, which was driven into the firewall and belly of aircraft. The pattern of scrapes and damage on the runway indicates that the aircraft made its final impact roughly 10 feet later, where it then skidded off the north side of runway 13 into the grass and sand. Due to the soft sand surface, the damaged nose gear dug in and flipped the aircraft on its back. Both wings were buckled and the vertical tail was damaged during the flip.
As the FAA filed it
ON 19 NOVEMBER 2016 AT 19:20Z A CESSNA 172, N5249R, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A HARD LANDING AT WOODBINE AIRPORT, WOODBINE NJ. THE SOLO STUDENT WAS UNINJURED. THE STUDENT STATES THAT WHILE PRACTICING SOLO TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS HE WAS CAUGHT BY A GUST OF WIND FROM THE RIGHT, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO BALLOON. HE DIDN'T THINK THE BALLOON WAS EXCESSIVE, MAYBE 15 FEET, SO HE TRIED TO FORCE THE AIRPLANE BACK DOWN. IN DOING SO, HE DRIFTED LEFT OF CENTER AND IMPACTED THE RUNWAY HARD ENOUGH TO CAUSE A PROPELLER STRIKE AND BUCKLE THE NOSE LANDING GEAR, WHICH WAS DRIVEN INTO THE FIREWALL AND BELLY OF AIRCRAFT. THE PATTERN OF SCRAPES AND DAMAGE ON THE RUNWAY INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT MADE ITS FINAL IMPACT ROUGHLY 10 FEET LATER, WHERE IT THEN SKIDDED OFF THE NORTH SIDE OF RUNWAY 13 INTO THE GRASS AND SAND. DUE TO THE SOFT SAND SURFACE, THE DAMAGED NOSE GEAR DUG IN AND FLIPPED THE AIRCRAFT ON ITS BACK. BOTH WINGS WERE BUCKLED AND THE VERTICAL TAIL WAS DAMAGED DURING THE FLIP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.