CHI99LA168

The student pilot stated that she was making a full flap landing when the airplane bounced during the flare. The airplane bounced a second time and on the third bounce the nose wheel contacted the runway. The pilot was able to taxi the airplane off the runway to the ramp where the nose gear, propeller, and firewall damage was discovered. She stated that under the same circumstances again, she would perform a go around instead of trying to land the airplane.

On May 18, 1999, at 1600 central daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N172YA, being flown by a student pilot, was substantially damaged during a landing on runway 19R (10,300' x 150') at the Mid- Continent Airport, Wichita, Kansas. The pilot was not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 solo instructional flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The local flight departed from the Mid-Continent Airport.

The student pilot stated she was cleared by the tower to perform a touch and go landing. She stated she flew a left traffic pattern and while on final she decided to add the final 10 degrees of flaps to make a full flap landing. She continued to add flaps throughout the traffic pattern. She reported, "I looked down the runway went several hundred feet, pulled back a little on the nose [and] went into the flare as the speed was bleeding off. When all of a sudden the airplane bounced on the main wheels [I] did not hear the stall warning horn at all. Once I bounced, all I could think of was control the airplane. ... I focused on the surroundings outside the airplane. Took the second bounce on the main wheels. The third bounce is when the nose wheel hit, the airplane slowed down." She stated she was able to taxi the airplane off the runway to the ramp where she was informed of the damage to the airplane. The damage consisted of the nose gear, propeller, and firewall.

The pilot stated, "If this situation was to occur again, I would not use full flaps under the same circumstances. I would take the option of giving the airplane power and do a go around. I know that my instructor has told me several time[s] that I do not have to land the airplane, that I do have the option to give it power and go around."