On 10 Feb 2006 15:20:52 -0800, wrote:

A student pilot does a poor recovery on a botched landing and pushes it
over and gets the prop, forces the nose gear up into the cowling hard
enough to cause some wrinkles in the firewall. Recovers it on the
subsequent follow-thru and taxis in to the ramp where the damage is
discovered.
Accident or incident?
Check the FAR's carefully and see what you come up with.....no personal
injuries involved.

Taken from http://www.airsafe.com/events/define.htm

Accident
As defined by the NTSB, this is an occurrence associated with the operation
of an aircraft where as a result of the operation of an aircraft, any
person (either inside or outside the aircraft) receives fatal or serious
injury or any aircraft receives substantial damage. The occurrence is also
not caused by the deliberate action of one or more persons and that leads
to damage or injury. The NTSB definition, which is also used by the FAA,
divides accidents into four categories:

1. Major - an accident in which a 14 CFR 121 aircraft was destroyed,
there were multiple fatalities, or there was one fatality and a 14 CFR 121
aircraft was substantially damaged.
2. Serious - an accident in which there was either one fatality without
substantial damage to a 14 CFR 121 aircraft, or there was at least one
serious injury and a 14 CFR121 aircraft was substantially damaged.
3. Injury - a nonfatal accident with at least one serious injury and
without substantial damage to a 14 CFR 121 aircraft.
4. Damage - an accident in which no person was killed or seriously
injured, but in which any aircraft was substantially damaged.

Incident
An occurrence, other than an accident, associated with the operation of an
aircraft that affects or could affect the safety of operations.