Cessna 172S N798SP accident near Waco, Texas

Probable cause

The student pilot’s inadequate landing flare that led to a bounced landing, and her improper pitch control during the attempted recovery that resulted in a nose down pitch attitude upon the second touchdown.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot reported that while conducting a solo flight she initially flared too high over the runway, but she decreased airplane pitch and continued with the landing. When she flared a second time, she did not use enough aft elevator input and the airplane landed flat, bounced, and then landed on the nose landing gear. After coming to a full stop, she notified the tower that she was unable to taxi, shutdown the engine, and exited the airplane at which point she saw that the propeller had struck the runway during the landing. Additional examination of the airframe revealed buckling of the lower fuselage structure. The chief pilot of the flight school reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN25LA095 for the full record.