On May 4, 1996, at 1030 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 172, N8811B, sustained a hard landing at Taylor Airstrip, Marana, Arizona, while on a visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated private pilot nor his passenger was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Tucson International Airport, Tucson, Arizona, at 1000 hours. This accident was originally reported as an incident. During the repair the mechanic found that the firewall was buckled, resulting in major structural damage. An FAA inspector from the Scottsdale [Arizona] Flight Standards District Office reported that the pilot said he bounced two times during the landing sequence. On the second touchdown, the airplane's nose gear struck the ground. The pilot repeated his statement in the accident report. He added that a ground witness told him that he saw a dust devil about 200 feet from the airport. The pilot also indicated in the accident report that the airplane did not experience any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures, and that he should have executed a go-around after the airplane bounced.