CHI99LA030

On his fourth attempt to land the airplane the student pilot misjudged the flare and hard landed the airplane. The accident flight was the second time the student pilot had operated the airplane solo. The student pilot had accumulated a total flight time of 13.9 hours upon returning to the home field following a hard landing at another airport where he had conducted a round-robin cross country flight. He had received 8.6 hours of dual instruction in preparation for his first solo flight. After that he received an additional 1.8 hours dual instruction in cross country technique. Then his student pilot certificate was endorsed approving solo cross country flights at which point he conducted the accident flight.

On November 14, 1998, at 1200 central standard time, a Cessna 172C, N1806Y, operated by a solo student pilot sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at Brenner Field, near Falls City, Nebraska. The solo student reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight departed Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, about 1050. After the accident the student returned the airplane to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, without incident, where the damage was discovered.

The student pilot said in his written statement that he made four attempts to land on runway 14 and on fourth attempt the airplane touched down on the main landing gear and "nosed hard on the front landing gear." He said that he then elected to convert the landing to a touch and go, and returned to Ft. Leavenworth. He said he reported the hard landing to the owners of the airplane; however, did not learn of the extend of the damage until the next day.

According to Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, the student pilot had accumulated a total flight time of 13.9 hours upon returning to Ft. Leavenworth following the hard landing accident at Falls City. He received 8.6 hours of dual instruction in preparation for his first solo flight. After that he received 1.8 hours dual instruction in cross country technique. Then his student certificate was endorsed approving solo cross country flights at which point he conducted the accident flight. The accident flight was the second time the student pilot had operated the airplane solo.