Piper PA-28-235C N9468W accident near Omaha, Nebraska

Probable cause

The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing, subsequent loss of directional control, and the airplane going down an embankment.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot reported that, during landing following his third solo cross-country flight, the airplane touched down and then bounced. The right wing dropped, and the right main landing gear touched down, followed by the nose landing gear. The airplane turned hard to the left, but the airplane was too close to the runway edge to turn and remain on the runway, so the student applied maximum braking and raised the nose to try to slow the airplane. The airplane went down an embankment at an angle, the left wing struck the ground and separated from the fuselage, and the nose landing gear bent aft, which bent the engine mounts and buckled the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN20CA137 for the full record.