What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft took off and at rotation climb out the lower nose gear strut departed the aircraft, pilot was advised by control tower and did not realize he had a problem as the aircraft did not exhibit or indicate any discrepancies. Pilot elected to burn off fuel and compose plan for landing and flew around for about an hour and then landed without the benfit of the nose landing gear. Pilot landed on the main gear and held off the nose as Long as possible before contacting the runway. Inspection revealed the upper nose gear torque link missing and presumed to have disentigrated when it came in contact with the runway. No remenets could be found. Upper nose gear and propeller contacted the runway and suffered considerable damage, no other damage discovered. It appears the upper torque link or center pivot bolt failed or was not reassembled correctly, however not enough evidence available to substantiate either scenario.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF AND AT ROTATION CLIMB OUT THE LOWER NOSE GEAR STRUT DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT, PILOT WAS ADVISED BY CONTROL TOWER AND DID NOT REALIZE HE HAD A PROBLEM AS THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT EXHIBIT OR INDICATE ANY DISCREPANCIES. PILOT ELECTED TO BURN OFF FUEL AND COMPOSE PLAN FOR LANDING AND FLEW AROUND FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND THEN LANDED WITHOUT THE BENFIT OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR. PILOT LANDED ON THE MAIN GEAR AND HELD OFF THE NOSE AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BEFORE CONTACTING THE RUNWAY. INSPECTION REVEALED THE UPPER NOSE GEAR TORQUE LINK MISSING AND PRESUMED TO HAVE DISENTIGRATED WHEN IT CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. NO REMENETS COULD BE FOUND. UPPER NOSE GEAR AND PROPELLER CONTACTED THE RUNWAY AND SUFFERED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE, NO OTHER DAMAGE DISCOVERED. IT APPEARS THE UPPER TORQUE LINK OR CENTER PIVOT BOLT FAILED OR WAS NOT REASSEMBLED CORRECTLY, HOWEVER NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE AVAILABLE TO SUBSTANTIATE EITHER SCENARIO.