What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 31, 2023, at approximately 1200, a Golden avio srl F30 took off from warrenton fauquier airport (khwy) for a leisure flight in the tappahannock river area. The pilot decided to make a stop at tappahannock-essex airfield (kxsa). On landing at kxsa, after the flare, the aircraft was lifted back up by a gust of wind, then came back down on the runway bouncing and getting airborne again, the second contact with the runway felt hard, so the pilot decided to initiate a go around. While going around on the downwind leg, the pilot decided to head back to khwy. On landing at khwy, the aircraft touched down softly on the main landing gear, but when the nose started settling down, it went past the horizon and down then the prop hit the asphalt and the plane started skidding with the nose down. The pilot applied pressure on the right toe brake and stirred the plane slowing down towards the right edge of the runway. The pilot then made a quick emergency call to notify pilots in the air and ask the FBO for help, then shut down the master, took the key off and exited the plane. The single pilot sustained no injuries. At that time the FAA was notified.
An inspection of the aircraft reveled substantial damage to the engine firewall, propeller damage, engine cowling damage, and damage to the right wing. The nose tire assembley was missing but was later recovered at kxsa. A review of the aircraft maintenance logbooks revealed that all inspections were current except 14 CFR 91.413 transponder check.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 31, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 1200, A GOLDEN AVIO SRL F30 TOOK OFF FROM WARRENTON FAUQUIER AIRPORT (KHWY) FOR A LEISURE FLIGHT IN THE TAPPAHANNOCK RIVER AREA. THE PILOT DECIDED TO MAKE A STOP AT TAPPAHANNOCK-ESSEX AIRFIELD (KXSA). ON LANDING AT KXSA, AFTER THE FLARE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED BACK UP BY A GUST OF WIND, THEN CAME BACK DOWN ON THE RUNWAY BOUNCING AND GETTING AIRBORNE AGAIN, THE SECOND CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY FELT HARD, SO THE PILOT DECIDED TO INITIATE A GO AROUND. WHILE GOING AROUND ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, THE PILOT DECIDED TO HEAD BACK TO KHWY. ON LANDING AT KHWY, THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN SOFTLY ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, BUT WHEN THE NOSE STARTED SETTLING DOWN, IT WENT PAST THE HORIZON AND DOWN THEN THE PROP HIT THE ASPHALT AND THE PLANE STARTED SKIDDING WITH THE NOSE DOWN. THE PILOT APPLIED PRESSURE ON THE RIGHT TOE BRAKE AND STIRRED THE PLANE SLOWING DOWN TOWARDS THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT THEN MADE A QUICK EMERGENCY CALL TO NOTIFY PILOTS IN THE AIR AND ASK THE FBO FOR HELP, THEN SHUT DOWN THE MASTER, TOOK THE KEY OFF AND EXITED THE PLANE. THE SINGLE PILOT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. AT THAT TIME THE FAA WAS NOTIFIED.
AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVELED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE FIREWALL, PROPELLER DAMAGE, ENGINE COWLING DAMAGE, AND DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING. THE NOSE TIRE ASSEMBLEY WAS MISSING BUT WAS LATER RECOVERED AT KXSA. A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS REVEALED THAT ALL INSPECTIONS WERE CURRENT EXCEPT 14 CFR 91.413 TRANSPONDER CHECK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.