MIA05CA109

According to the student and the flight instructor, the student was performing his second supervised solo flight, and his first attempt at landing resulted in a the airplane impacting the runway hard, and porpoising. After landing, an examination of the airplane revealed that the floorboard, and firewall had buckled. Both the flight instructor and student stated that prior to the accident there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems.

On May 20, 2005, about 1000 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172R, N864CP, registered to Me Minn County Aviation Inc., and operated by Phoenix East Aviation Inc., as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, had a student pilot perform a hard landing in Daytona Beach, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The student-rated pilot was not injured, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated in Daytona Beach, Florida, the same day, about 0950.

The student pilot stated that he was flying his second supervised solo flight in the traffic pattern, and while landing he bounced twice, and preformed a go-around. On the third landing attempt, he said he was instructed to pick up his instructor waiting on the ramp. The student stated that when the instructor entered the airplane, he asked the instructor about the first landing, and the instructor said that it had been a hard landing.

According to the flight instructor, the student pilot's first landing attempt resulted in a go-around, after the airplane had "porpoised" on the runway while attempting to land. The instructor said that student's second attempt was satisfactory, however, during the third attempt he again porpoised, and executed another go-around. The instructor said he then called the Daytona Beach ground controller and asked that the controller relay to his student to perform a full stop landing, and pick him up. Upon their arrival at the ramp, maintenance inspected the airplane, and found that the floorboard and firewall had been buckled. Prior to the accident, there had been no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems.