Narrative:

I was scheduled for a first solo flight at ZZZ in a left traffic pattern after dual instruction. Conditions were broken clouds; visibility up to 7 mi and winds from 290 degrees at 4 mph. After 1 hour of dual instruction in the pattern; 7 lndgs (touch-and-go) with CFI; we took a break and CFI authority/authorized me for a solo flight and made appropriate notations in my pilot logbook. CFI briefed me on the traffic pattern; specifics of flight and authority/authorized me to do 4 lndgs (3 touch-and-goes and a full stop). After 3 lndgs (touch-and-go) I requested a full stop from the tower. After getting authority/authorized; I followed landing procedures. On final approach; I was in a good confign and set to land. After crossing threshold of runway 25; I was a little high and flared to continue to land. At that time the aircraft caught the ground effect and remained high and then dropped and bounced. The impact and the low crosswind caused the aircraft to pull to the left. I reattempted the landing and then the pull to the left became more significant as it dropped a second time. It rolled for about 50 ft; going to the left. I reattempted the landing and then the pull to the left became more significant as it dropped a second time. It rolled for about 50 ft; going to the left. I used right rudder; but the aircraft continued to the left. I made the decision to abort the landing and go around. I incorrectly applied 10 degrees of flaps before I put in full power. I corrected immediately and applied full power and the aircraft was airborne; but was pointed to about 200 degrees. I had sight of trees to the left of runway 25 and kept the aircraft in this position until I achieved a positive rate of climb before I turned to go back to the departure leg of the pattern; so as not to stall or spin once in a positive rate of climb; I turned back to the departure leg of the pattern and then notified ZZZ tower that I was ok. The aircraft performed as before and I continued with landing procedures. The next landing was accomplished without incident. I taxied back to the FBO and immediately notified CFI what happened. I was debriefed and CFI made appropriate notations in logbook after postflt. At no time did I suspect I hit anything; I was aware that I had 2 hard lndgs. I did not feel the effect of a hit or scrape to the right horizontal stabilizer and there was no change to the performance to the aircraft in my last landing. CFI notified me later that there was damage to the aircraft and I reported to the FBO. I physically inspected the damage to right horizontal stabilizer that seemed to indicate that it being grazed by a pole of some sort on the bottom side. CFI in contact with the FBO and FAA to determine proper course of action. CFI and I visually inspected runway 25 via taxiway B. A runway edge light just west of B6 was discovered to have been removed from post and was located about 6 ft from base on a line parallel to runway 25. We also observed a line through grass leading to the edge light post that indicated a line of approach from aircraft; ostensibly caused by nosewheel. ZZZ tower was informed of the damaged edge light at B6 and will make appropriate notifications to the municipal auths.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON A FIRST SOLO FLT; A C172 STUDENT PILOT FLARED HIGH ON A LNDG; BOUNCED HARD AND STRUCK A RWY EDGE LIGHT AFTER DEPARTING THE RWY ON A GO AROUND.

Narrative: I WAS SCHEDULED FOR A FIRST SOLO FLT AT ZZZ IN A L TFC PATTERN AFTER DUAL INSTRUCTION. CONDITIONS WERE BROKEN CLOUDS; VISIBILITY UP TO 7 MI AND WINDS FROM 290 DEGS AT 4 MPH. AFTER 1 HR OF DUAL INSTRUCTION IN THE PATTERN; 7 LNDGS (TOUCH-AND-GO) WITH CFI; WE TOOK A BREAK AND CFI AUTH ME FOR A SOLO FLT AND MADE APPROPRIATE NOTATIONS IN MY PLT LOGBOOK. CFI BRIEFED ME ON THE TFC PATTERN; SPECIFICS OF FLT AND AUTH ME TO DO 4 LNDGS (3 TOUCH-AND-GOES AND A FULL STOP). AFTER 3 LNDGS (TOUCH-AND-GO) I REQUESTED A FULL STOP FROM THE TWR. AFTER GETTING AUTH; I FOLLOWED LNDG PROCS. ON FINAL APCH; I WAS IN A GOOD CONFIGN AND SET TO LAND. AFTER XING THRESHOLD OF RWY 25; I WAS A LITTLE HIGH AND FLARED TO CONTINUE TO LAND. AT THAT TIME THE ACFT CAUGHT THE GND EFFECT AND REMAINED HIGH AND THEN DROPPED AND BOUNCED. THE IMPACT AND THE LOW XWIND CAUSED THE ACFT TO PULL TO THE L. I REATTEMPTED THE LNDG AND THEN THE PULL TO THE L BECAME MORE SIGNIFICANT AS IT DROPPED A SECOND TIME. IT ROLLED FOR ABOUT 50 FT; GOING TO THE L. I REATTEMPTED THE LNDG AND THEN THE PULL TO THE L BECAME MORE SIGNIFICANT AS IT DROPPED A SECOND TIME. IT ROLLED FOR ABOUT 50 FT; GOING TO THE L. I USED R RUDDER; BUT THE ACFT CONTINUED TO THE L. I MADE THE DECISION TO ABORT THE LNDG AND GO AROUND. I INCORRECTLY APPLIED 10 DEGS OF FLAPS BEFORE I PUT IN FULL PWR. I CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY AND APPLIED FULL PWR AND THE ACFT WAS AIRBORNE; BUT WAS POINTED TO ABOUT 200 DEGS. I HAD SIGHT OF TREES TO THE L OF RWY 25 AND KEPT THE ACFT IN THIS POS UNTIL I ACHIEVED A POSITIVE RATE OF CLB BEFORE I TURNED TO GO BACK TO THE DEP LEG OF THE PATTERN; SO AS NOT TO STALL OR SPIN ONCE IN A POSITIVE RATE OF CLB; I TURNED BACK TO THE DEP LEG OF THE PATTERN AND THEN NOTIFIED ZZZ TWR THAT I WAS OK. THE ACFT PERFORMED AS BEFORE AND I CONTINUED WITH LNDG PROCS. THE NEXT LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I TAXIED BACK TO THE FBO AND IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED CFI WHAT HAPPENED. I WAS DEBRIEFED AND CFI MADE APPROPRIATE NOTATIONS IN LOGBOOK AFTER POSTFLT. AT NO TIME DID I SUSPECT I HIT ANYTHING; I WAS AWARE THAT I HAD 2 HARD LNDGS. I DID NOT FEEL THE EFFECT OF A HIT OR SCRAPE TO THE R HORIZ STABILIZER AND THERE WAS NO CHANGE TO THE PERFORMANCE TO THE ACFT IN MY LAST LNDG. CFI NOTIFIED ME LATER THAT THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND I RPTED TO THE FBO. I PHYSICALLY INSPECTED THE DAMAGE TO R HORIZ STABILIZER THAT SEEMED TO INDICATE THAT IT BEING GRAZED BY A POLE OF SOME SORT ON THE BOTTOM SIDE. CFI IN CONTACT WITH THE FBO AND FAA TO DETERMINE PROPER COURSE OF ACTION. CFI AND I VISUALLY INSPECTED RWY 25 VIA TXWY B. A RWY EDGE LIGHT JUST W OF B6 WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM POST AND WAS LOCATED ABOUT 6 FT FROM BASE ON A LINE PARALLEL TO RWY 25. WE ALSO OBSERVED A LINE THROUGH GRASS LEADING TO THE EDGE LIGHT POST THAT INDICATED A LINE OF APCH FROM ACFT; OSTENSIBLY CAUSED BY NOSEWHEEL. ZZZ TWR WAS INFORMED OF THE DAMAGED EDGE LIGHT AT B6 AND WILL MAKE APPROPRIATE NOTIFICATIONS TO THE MUNICIPAL AUTHS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.