What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On may 21, 2002, at 1832 EST, N7517V, a Cessna 177RG landed at the Lakeland linder regional airport with a nose gear that would not extend. The pilot told Lakeland tower that when he extended the landing gear for landing he did not get a down and locked indication. The pilot flew by the Lakeland tower and the tower personnel confirmed that his nose gear was not extended. The pilot after numerous tries to lower the nose gear elected to land on runway 5 Lakeland. On landing the pilot shut down the engine and held the nose off until airspeed bleed off, at such time the windmilling propeller struck the runway followed by the nose gear doors lower cowling and engine exhaust stack. Damage was limited to the propeller, nose gear doors, lower cowling, and engine exhaust. There were no injuries to the pilot or passenger.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MAY 21, 2002, AT 1832 EST, N7517V, A CESSNA 177RG LANDED AT THE LAKELAND LINDER REGIONAL AIRPORT WITH A NOSE GEAR THAT WOULD NOT EXTEND. THE PILOT TOLD LAKELAND TOWER THAT WHEN HE EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR FOR LANDING HE DID NOT GET A DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION. THE PILOT FLEW BY THE LAKELAND TOWER AND THE TOWER PERSONNEL CONFIRMED THAT HIS NOSE GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED. THE PILOT AFTER NUMEROUS TRIES TO LOWER THE NOSE GEAR ELECTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 5 LAKELAND. ON LANDING THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND HELD THE NOSE OFF UNTIL AIRSPEED BLEED OFF, AT SUCH TIME THE WINDMILLING PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE GEAR DOORS LOWER COWLING AND ENGINE EXHAUST STACK. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE PROPELLER, NOSE GEAR DOORS, LOWER COWLING, AND ENGINE EXHAUST. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PASSENGER.