N619TH

On July 3, 2007, about 0858 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N619TH, landed hard at the Spanish Fork-Springville Airport, Spanish Fork, Utah. The airplane was operated by Air Center of Salt Lake. The airplane was substantially damaged. The student pilot was not injured during the solo instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and it originated from Salt Lake City, Utah, about 0805.

The pilot's certified flight instructor (CFI) reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that he witnessed the mishap. The CFI reported that he was standing near the departure end of runway 12 and noted that his student's final approach path appeared okay. The airplane bounced during the landing several times and the student performed a go-around. When the student subsequently landed the airplane, the nose tire was observed flat. Upon further examination of the airplane, the nose wheel's axle and the firewall were found bent.