Narrative:

During my first solo, I started the airplane, taxied to hold short of runway 8 at omn, utilized the appropriate checklist, and completed a normal takeoff roll and departure. Flying left traffic, I executed a normal traffic pattern and did my pre-landing checks. I flew a normal final leg, and brought the engine to idle as soon as I had the runway made. I flared the aircraft but managed to bounce it relatively violently. The events happened very quickly and I'm not sure how high it bounced, but it felt much rougher than anything I had ever experienced in an aircraft. The aircraft porpoised 2 more times in quick succession before I was able to get a handle on the situation and input some control into the aircraft. I had never experienced anything like this and most likely was frozen for at least a few seconds. On the third bounce I definitely came down on the nose gear before the mains, and at this time I struck both ends of the propeller on the runway surface. I heard a very loud 'crack' noise and, unaware that I had struck the propeller, I thought that the noise was the nose gear being damaged. As soon as I heard this I added full throttle, retracted the flaps, and initiated a go around. I climbed out and noticed that the airplane's climb performance was significantly reduced, climbing much slower than it normally did. I extended my upwind leg almost until reaching the established pattern altitude of 1000 ft MSL to give myself some more time to deal with the problem. I flew a larger pattern, because of the extended upwind leg, and I actively planned for a possible off-airport landing since I thought there was something wrong with the engine itself. I flew a normal pattern, although the aircraft required almost full throttle to maintain 80-90 KTS in straight and level flight in the pattern. I had no contact with my CFI, who was on the ground at the time, although I was announcing my intentions on the unicom to the other 2 or 3 aircraft in the pattern. I flew another approach and landed the aircraft normally just as I had done during 3 previous trips around the pattern with my instructor. My setting of the engine's RPM with the throttle differed significantly during the second approach because of the damaged propeller. After shutting down the engine it was obvious that about 4 inches of either end of the propeller was completely bent, 90 degrees, away from the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRAINEE BOUNCED LNDG AND HIT PROP.

Narrative: DURING MY FIRST SOLO, I STARTED THE AIRPLANE, TAXIED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 8 AT OMN, UTILIZED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLIST, AND COMPLETED A NORMAL TKOF ROLL AND DEP. FLYING L TFC, I EXECUTED A NORMAL TFC PATTERN AND DID MY PRE-LNDG CHKS. I FLEW A NORMAL FINAL LEG, AND BROUGHT THE ENG TO IDLE AS SOON AS I HAD THE RWY MADE. I FLARED THE ACFT BUT MANAGED TO BOUNCE IT RELATIVELY VIOLENTLY. THE EVENTS HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY AND I'M NOT SURE HOW HIGH IT BOUNCED, BUT IT FELT MUCH ROUGHER THAN ANYTHING I HAD EVER EXPERIENCED IN AN ACFT. THE ACFT PORPOISED 2 MORE TIMES IN QUICK SUCCESSION BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET A HANDLE ON THE SIT AND INPUT SOME CTL INTO THE ACFT. I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS AND MOST LIKELY WAS FROZEN FOR AT LEAST A FEW SECONDS. ON THE THIRD BOUNCE I DEFINITELY CAME DOWN ON THE NOSE GEAR BEFORE THE MAINS, AND AT THIS TIME I STRUCK BOTH ENDS OF THE PROP ON THE RWY SURFACE. I HEARD A VERY LOUD 'CRACK' NOISE AND, UNAWARE THAT I HAD STRUCK THE PROP, I THOUGHT THAT THE NOISE WAS THE NOSE GEAR BEING DAMAGED. AS SOON AS I HEARD THIS I ADDED FULL THROTTLE, RETRACTED THE FLAPS, AND INITIATED A GAR. I CLBED OUT AND NOTICED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S CLB PERFORMANCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED, CLBING MUCH SLOWER THAN IT NORMALLY DID. I EXTENDED MY UPWIND LEG ALMOST UNTIL REACHING THE ESTABLISHED PATTERN ALT OF 1000 FT MSL TO GIVE MYSELF SOME MORE TIME TO DEAL WITH THE PROB. I FLEW A LARGER PATTERN, BECAUSE OF THE EXTENDED UPWIND LEG, AND I ACTIVELY PLANNED FOR A POSSIBLE OFF-ARPT LNDG SINCE I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ENG ITSELF. I FLEW A NORMAL PATTERN, ALTHOUGH THE ACFT REQUIRED ALMOST FULL THROTTLE TO MAINTAIN 80-90 KTS IN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT IN THE PATTERN. I HAD NO CONTACT WITH MY CFI, WHO WAS ON THE GND AT THE TIME, ALTHOUGH I WAS ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS ON THE UNICOM TO THE OTHER 2 OR 3 ACFT IN THE PATTERN. I FLEW ANOTHER APCH AND LANDED THE ACFT NORMALLY JUST AS I HAD DONE DURING 3 PREVIOUS TRIPS AROUND THE PATTERN WITH MY INSTRUCTOR. MY SETTING OF THE ENG'S RPM WITH THE THROTTLE DIFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING THE SECOND APCH BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGED PROP. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT ABOUT 4 INCHES OF EITHER END OF THE PROP WAS COMPLETELY BENT, 90 DEGS, AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.