What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot had long descent with engine at idle, he did not clear the carburetor. On short final over the water, the pilot realized he was a little low and short as the runway was about six feet above water level, so he increased his throttle, but did not get the expected engine response. The plane struck the lip of the terrain and collapsed the nose gear. The engine caught and the aircraft became airborne, the piot retarded the throttle and bounced once again. This time the broken nose gear dug in and the airplane rolled over it's own nose, coming to rest on the engine cowl, roll bar and vertical fin, with substantial damage to the fin. The canopy was broken, because of the rollbar, the cockpit space remained intact, the pilot assisted his passenger. Minor cuts on both occupants.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT HAD LONG DESCENT WITH ENGINE AT IDLE, HE DID NOT CLEAR THE CARBURETOR. ON SHORT FINAL OVER THE WATER, THE PILOT REALIZED HE WAS A LITTLE LOW AND SHORT AS THE RUNWAY WAS ABOUT SIX FEET ABOVE WATER LEVEL, SO HE INCREASED HIS THROTTLE, BUT DID NOT GET THE EXPECTED ENGINE RESPONSE. THE PLANE STRUCK THE LIP OF THE TERRAIN AND COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR. THE ENGINE CAUGHT AND THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE, THE PIOT RETARDED THE THROTTLE AND BOUNCED ONCE AGAIN. THIS TIME THE BROKEN NOSE GEAR DUG IN AND THE AIRPLANE ROLLED OVER IT'S OWN NOSE, COMING TO REST ON THE ENGINE COWL, ROLL BAR AND VERTICAL FIN, WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FIN. THE CANOPY WAS BROKEN, BECAUSE OF THE ROLLBAR, THE COCKPIT SPACE REMAINED INTACT, THE PILOT ASSISTED HIS PASSENGER. MINOR CUTS ON BOTH OCCUPANTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.