What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 22, 2020 at approximately 1220Z privacy data omitted piloting N71RP departed french lick (kfrh) enroute to palatka airport (28J). While enroute privacy data omitted experienced avionics issues and also noticed a gear in transit light. Due to the issues privacy data omitted diverted to Athens, Tennessee airport (kmmi) with air traffic?s control?s assistance. Upon touching down on runway 02 at kmmi, the nose wheel departed the aircraft. The aircraft came to a stop on the runway and could not be moved. privacy data omitted Shutdown the aircraft. During a search, the nose wheel and tire assembly was located, however, the axle was not found. Upon inspection of the aircraft by inspectors from the nashville FSDO, a scraping mark was noted on the inside wall of the nose gear wheel well. Other damage to the aircraft includes: the nose gear fork was ground down to the strut, also the prop has ground damage from contacting the runway. Upon further inspection of the entire flight. It was found that there were convective sigmets and IFR airmets along the route of flight. The pilot is a VFR only pilot and did not use good aeronauticle decision making skills in his decision to take off with the sigmets and airmets along his planned route of flight. The pilot will be counseled on aeronauticle decision making and 91.23 careless and wreckless operation of an aircraft. Although the pilots decision did not contribute to the nose wheel/tire departing the aircraft upon touchdown, it may have contributed to his decision to land short of his intended destination.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 22, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 1220Z ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PILOTING N71RP DEPARTED FRENCH LICK (KFRH) ENROUTE TO PALATKA AIRPORT (28J). WHILE ENROUTE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXPERIENCED AVIONICS ISSUES AND ALSO NOTICED A GEAR IN TRANSIT LIGHT. DUE TO THE ISSUES ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DIVERTED TO ATHENS, TENNESSEE AIRPORT (KMMI) WITH AIR TRAFFIC?S CONTROL?S ASSISTANCE. UPON TOUCHING DOWN ON RUNWAY 02 AT KMMI, THE NOSE WHEEL DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY AND COULD NOT BE MOVED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SHUTDOWN THE AIRCRAFT. DURING A SEARCH, THE NOSE WHEEL AND TIRE ASSEMBLY WAS LOCATED, HOWEVER, THE AXLE WAS NOT FOUND. UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY INSPECTORS FROM THE NASHVILLE FSDO, A SCRAPING MARK WAS NOTED ON THE INSIDE WALL OF THE NOSE GEAR WHEEL WELL. OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT INCLUDES: THE NOSE GEAR FORK WAS GROUND DOWN TO THE STRUT, ALSO THE PROP HAS GROUND DAMAGE FROM CONTACTING THE RUNWAY. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE ENTIRE FLIGHT. IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WERE CONVECTIVE SIGMETS AND IFR AIRMETS ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT IS A VFR ONLY PILOT AND DID NOT USE GOOD AERONAUTICLE DECISION MAKING SKILLS IN HIS DECISION TO TAKE OFF WITH THE SIGMETS AND AIRMETS ALONG HIS PLANNED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT WILL BE COUNSELED ON AERONAUTICLE DECISION MAKING AND 91.23 CARELESS AND WRECKLESS OPERATION OF AN AIRCRAFT. ALTHOUGH THE PILOTS DECISION DID NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE NOSE WHEEL/TIRE DEPARTING THE AIRCRAFT UPON TOUCHDOWN, IT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO HIS DECISION TO LAND SHORT OF HIS INTENDED DESTINATION.