What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 02, 2015 @ approximately 1300 local time the pilot of a Piper PA32-301 was cleared to land at Valdosta Regional Airport. Weather conditions were clear skies, winds reported 310 degrees at 10 knots with gusts of 20-22 knots. Tower controller asked if he would like to land on runway 31 pilot told the tower to stand by, pilot listen to weather and chose to use runway 35. This choice of runway gave a crosswind condition for the pilot to land.
Pilots written statement was; just as he crossed over the numbers on the runway the airplane stabilized and smooth out. Just before touch down a up draft pushed the aircraft back up into the air with a sudden downdraft pushing the aircraft back onto the runway the aircraft bounced the next attempt to set the plane back on the runway the aircraft nose over causing the nose wheel to hit the runway first causing the nose gear to break off and go aft under the airframe.
The statement from the controller in the tower watching the landing stated the same thing as the pilot. Just as the plane was about to land the plane pitch up and then down when the aircraft bounced back into the air he reached for the phone to call emergency equipment to roll to the scene.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 02, 2015 @ APPROXIMATELY 1300 LOCAL TIME THE PILOT OF A PIPER PA32-301 WAS CLEARED TO LAND AT VALDOSTA REGIONAL AIRPORT. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR SKIES, WINDS REPORTED 310 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS WITH GUSTS OF 20-22 KNOTS. TOWER CONTROLLER ASKED IF HE WOULD LIKE TO LAND ON RUNWAY 31 PILOT TOLD THE TOWER TO STAND BY, PILOT LISTEN TO WEATHER AND CHOSE TO USE RUNWAY 35. THIS CHOICE OF RUNWAY GAVE A CROSSWIND CONDITION FOR THE PILOT TO LAND.
PILOTS WRITTEN STATEMENT WAS; JUST AS HE CROSSED OVER THE NUMBERS ON THE RUNWAY THE AIRPLANE STABILIZED AND SMOOTH OUT. JUST BEFORE TOUCH DOWN A UP DRAFT PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT BACK UP INTO THE AIR WITH A SUDDEN DOWNDRAFT PUSHING THE AIRCRAFT BACK ONTO THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED THE NEXT ATTEMPT TO SET THE PLANE BACK ON THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT NOSE OVER CAUSING THE NOSE WHEEL TO HIT THE RUNWAY FIRST CAUSING THE NOSE GEAR TO BREAK OFF AND GO AFT UNDER THE AIRFRAME.
THE STATEMENT FROM THE CONTROLLER IN THE TOWER WATCHING THE LANDING STATED THE SAME THING AS THE PILOT. JUST AS THE PLANE WAS ABOUT TO LAND THE PLANE PITCH UP AND THEN DOWN WHEN THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR HE REACHED FOR THE PHONE TO CALL EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT TO ROLL TO THE SCENE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.