N53396

The student pilot performed three landings earlier that day with his flight instructor, then was signed off for his first solo flight. The student departed and remained in the traffic pattern, and the airplane bounced during the first landing. After bouncing three times, the nose landing gear fork and wheel assembly separated, and the propeller impacted the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount and firewall. The operator reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.