DFW07CA063

The 40-hour solo student pilot did not recover from a bounced landing after the single-engine airplane porpoised following a hard landing on runway 17L (35 foot wide, 3,987 feet long, dry asphalt). During landing, the airplane landed hard, bounced, porpoised several times until the nose landing gear collapsed and the propeller contacted the runway. An FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported structural damage to the engine mounts and the engine firewall.

The 40-hour solo student pilot was unable to recover from a bounced landing after the single-engine airplane encounter porpoised following a hard landing on runway 17L. The student pilot departed the airport and proceeded to the local practice area to practice some air work maneuvers. After practicing several maneuvers, the student pilot elected to return to the airport to perform some touch and go landings. The student pilot reported that air traffic control (ATC) gave her a conflicting instructions to enter the traffic pattern that were different from any previously received clearances. While on final approach to runway 17L (a dry asphalt 3,978 foot-long by 35 foot-wide runway) the pilot became confused after she was instructed to change to another tower frequency. The student pilot stated that she became "very nervous being a student pilot with instructions that seemed unsafe." She added "I was also worried that I did not follow an instruction. I felt very unsafe and just wanted to get on the ground." During landing, the airplane landed hard, bounced, porpoised several times until the nose landing gear collapsed and the propeller contacted the runway. An FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported structural damage to the engine mounts and the engine firewall. Weather reported at the time of the accident was clear skies, wind from 130 degrees at 4 knots, and 30.17 inches of Mercury.