What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Investigated nose landing gear incident on van's RV-9A experimental aircraft. During a short field "spot landing" on runway 18 at fallbrook airpark, CA (L18) the aircraft began to porpoise shortly after touch down. The pilot executed a balked landing/go-around procedure after the second porpoise. The nose gear strut and faring was slightly damaged during the balked landing maneuver.
A bystander who was on the ground at fallbrook took a picture of the nose gear and emailed the photo to a passenger on the aircraft. After reviewing the photo of the nose gear on the passengers iphone, the pilot elected to return and land at his home airport (Carlsbad-palomar, kcrq). The aircraft landed uneventfully on runway 24 at Carlsbad although the damaged nose wheel was bent enough to preclude a normal taxi. Ground crews assisted the pilot and the aircraft was towed to the pilots hangar for repairs.
The nose strut (leg) on vans rv-a series aircraft is a known weak design since the aircraft was originally designed as a conventional gear aircraft without a nose wheel. The nose wheel system was later added and is of minimal design to keep the tricycle -9A model similar in weight to the -9 conventional model.
Since 1988 there have been several manufacturer modifications to the nose gear strut and yoke which have resulted in issuing several service bulletins. Even so, there are other manufacturers that continue to design and sell "nose gear strut stiffeners" for tricycle model van's aircraft.
The pilot (and original builder of this aircraft) had installed a nose strut stiffener mechanism (kit) made by a company called "anti splat aero". The stiffener kit keeps the nose strut from bending backwards and this kit helped avoid a prop-strike and other costly damage to the aircraft in this incident. The modified nose gear sustained very minor damage to the nose gear and nose gear fairing during this incident.
As the FAA filed it
INVESTIGATED NOSE LANDING GEAR INCIDENT ON VAN'S RV-9A EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT. DURING A SHORT FIELD "SPOT LANDING" ON RUNWAY 18 AT FALLBROOK AIRPARK, CA (L18) THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO PORPOISE SHORTLY AFTER TOUCH DOWN. THE PILOT EXECUTED A BALKED LANDING/GO-AROUND PROCEDURE AFTER THE SECOND PORPOISE. THE NOSE GEAR STRUT AND FARING WAS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED DURING THE BALKED LANDING MANEUVER.
A BYSTANDER WHO WAS ON THE GROUND AT FALLBROOK TOOK A PICTURE OF THE NOSE GEAR AND EMAILED THE PHOTO TO A PASSENGER ON THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER REVIEWING THE PHOTO OF THE NOSE GEAR ON THE PASSENGERS IPHONE, THE PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN AND LAND AT HIS HOME AIRPORT (CARLSBAD-PALOMAR, KCRQ). THE AIRCRAFT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY ON RUNWAY 24 AT CARLSBAD ALTHOUGH THE DAMAGED NOSE WHEEL WAS BENT ENOUGH TO PRECLUDE A NORMAL TAXI. GROUND CREWS ASSISTED THE PILOT AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO THE PILOTS HANGAR FOR REPAIRS.
THE NOSE STRUT (LEG) ON VANS RV-A SERIES AIRCRAFT IS A KNOWN WEAK DESIGN SINCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED AS A CONVENTIONAL GEAR AIRCRAFT WITHOUT A NOSE WHEEL. THE NOSE WHEEL SYSTEM WAS LATER ADDED AND IS OF MINIMAL DESIGN TO KEEP THE TRICYCLE -9A MODEL SIMILAR IN WEIGHT TO THE -9 CONVENTIONAL MODEL.
SINCE 1988 THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL MANUFACTURER MODIFICATIONS TO THE NOSE GEAR STRUT AND YOKE WHICH HAVE RESULTED IN ISSUING SEVERAL SERVICE BULLETINS. EVEN SO, THERE ARE OTHER MANUFACTURERS THAT CONTINUE TO DESIGN AND SELL "NOSE GEAR STRUT STIFFENERS" FOR TRICYCLE MODEL VAN'S AIRCRAFT.
THE PILOT (AND ORIGINAL BUILDER OF THIS AIRCRAFT) HAD INSTALLED A NOSE STRUT STIFFENER MECHANISM (KIT) MADE BY A COMPANY CALLED "ANTI SPLAT AERO". THE STIFFENER KIT KEEPS THE NOSE STRUT FROM BENDING BACKWARDS AND THIS KIT HELPED AVOID A PROP-STRIKE AND OTHER COSTLY DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT IN THIS INCIDENT. THE MODIFIED NOSE GEAR SUSTAINED VERY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR AND NOSE GEAR FAIRING DURING THIS INCIDENT.