Maybe It Was Just a Bad Preflight...

This 1981 Cherokee has probably seen a lot of strange things, being used as a trainer, and all. Now, we don't know all the circumstances; but the FAA's preliminary report (below) kinda puts two and two together for us.

**   Report created 2/4/03   Record 1   **
IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 149FA        Make/Model: PA28      Description: PA-28 CHEROKEE, ARROW, WARRIOR
  Date: 02/03/2003     Time: 1614
  Event Type: Incident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Minor
LOCATION
  City: ST. AUGUSTINE   State: FL   Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT PILOTED BY STUDENT PILOT EXITED RUNWAY 31 ON FIRST TOUCH AND GO LANDING OF SOLO FLIGHT. PILOT INDICATED NO PROBLEM WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND TAXIED ONTO THE RAMP. THREE HOURS LATER IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RUNWAY 31 PAPI LIGHTS WERE DAMAGED. ON FEBRUARY 3, AT 1300Z DISCOVERED THAT THE PA28 HAD RECEIVED DAMAGE. THE WELDED ENTRY STEP WAS BENT CREATING A HOLE IN THE FUSELAGE. ONE BELLY ANTENNA WAS BROKEN. NO OTHER DAMAGE OBSERVED. ST. AUGUSTINE, FL.
INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:  1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
WEATHER: METAR KSGJ 011615Z 29007KT 10SM CLR 14/05 A3007
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Training      Phase: Landing      Operation: General Aviation
  Departed: (SGJ) ST. AUGUSTINE         Dep Date: 02/03/2003   Dep. Time: 1608
  Destination: (SGJ) ST. AUGUSTINE      Flt Plan: NONE         Wx Briefing: Y
  Last Radio Cont: TOWER
  Last Clearance: CLRD TOUCH AND GO
  FAA FSDO: ORLANDO, FL  (SO15)                   Entry date: 02/04/2003