What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Non regulatory compliance action (8900.1 V7, C1, S2 / V14 appendix 14-4)
Incident: N967CT piloted by student pilot conducting VFR pattern operations rwy 16L at hef. At 2017Z on landing the aircraft bounced multiple times and struck the prop before coming to a stop. Damage to the prop and nose strut. No injuries reported.
Pilot statement: 3rd solo student pilot flight, cleared for pattern only. Preflight, taxi, t/o fine. 1st landing approach nominal. Good lineup, full flaps, on speed, altitude a little low. Flared too late, landed hard on mains, bounced, causing porpoising. Bounced 3 maybe 4 times, getting slower but higher each time, and losing pitch authority. Last bounce was nose low, striking prop, seizing engine. Called tower, requested tow, coasted to left side of runway. Began cursing furiously. Climbed out and pushed aircraft off runway (to the left), but stopped in grass within inches. Rescue vehicle arrived, 30 minutes later we tried to tow but discovered nose gear bent up making wheel unusable. Operator returned to fetch the rescue dolly that would cradle the nose gear. This was used to tow the aircraft back to privacy data omittedmaintenance hangar.
Investigation: on 7/11/2022 this occurrence was referred to our office and assigned to me for investigation. Student pilot, endorsed for traffic pattern solo only, flared the landing late, causing a hard bounce. Failing to either execute a go around, or by adding power, stabilizing the pitch attitude and decent rate, then slowly settling the aircraft to touchdown on the main wheels first, the student allowed the nose to drop and bounce 2 to 3 more times, developing a porpoising action. This led to minor damage to the prop and nose strut.
As the FAA filed it
NON REGULATORY COMPLIANCE ACTION (8900.1 V7, C1, S2 / V14 APPENDIX 14-4)
INCIDENT: N967CT PILOTED BY STUDENT PILOT CONDUCTING VFR PATTERN OPERATIONS RWY 16L AT HEF. AT 2017Z ON LANDING THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED MULTIPLE TIMES AND STRUCK THE PROP BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. DAMAGE TO THE PROP AND NOSE STRUT. NO INJURIES REPORTED.
PILOT STATEMENT: 3RD SOLO STUDENT PILOT FLIGHT, CLEARED FOR PATTERN ONLY. PREFLIGHT, TAXI, T/O FINE. 1ST LANDING APPROACH NOMINAL. GOOD LINEUP, FULL FLAPS, ON SPEED, ALTITUDE A LITTLE LOW. FLARED TOO LATE, LANDED HARD ON MAINS, BOUNCED, CAUSING PORPOISING. BOUNCED 3 MAYBE 4 TIMES, GETTING SLOWER BUT HIGHER EACH TIME, AND LOSING PITCH AUTHORITY. LAST BOUNCE WAS NOSE LOW, STRIKING PROP, SEIZING ENGINE. CALLED TOWER, REQUESTED TOW, COASTED TO LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY. BEGAN CURSING FURIOUSLY. CLIMBED OUT AND PUSHED AIRCRAFT OFF RUNWAY (TO THE LEFT), BUT STOPPED IN GRASS WITHIN INCHES. RESCUE VEHICLE ARRIVED, 30 MINUTES LATER WE TRIED TO TOW BUT DISCOVERED NOSE GEAR BENT UP MAKING WHEEL UNUSABLE. OPERATOR RETURNED TO FETCH THE RESCUE DOLLY THAT WOULD CRADLE THE NOSE GEAR. THIS WAS USED TO TOW THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^MAINTENANCE HANGAR.
INVESTIGATION: ON 7/11/2022 THIS OCCURRENCE WAS REFERRED TO OUR OFFICE AND ASSIGNED TO ME FOR INVESTIGATION. STUDENT PILOT, ENDORSED FOR TRAFFIC PATTERN SOLO ONLY, FLARED THE LANDING LATE, CAUSING A HARD BOUNCE. FAILING TO EITHER EXECUTE A GO AROUND, OR BY ADDING POWER, STABILIZING THE PITCH ATTITUDE AND DECENT RATE, THEN SLOWLY SETTLING THE AIRCRAFT TO TOUCHDOWN ON THE MAIN WHEELS FIRST, THE STUDENT ALLOWED THE NOSE TO DROP AND BOUNCE 2 TO 3 MORE TIMES, DEVELOPING A PORPOISING ACTION. THIS LED TO MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROP AND NOSE STRUT.