What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 28, 2025 at approximately 0830 EDT the event aircraft experienced a broken nose wheel fork due to a hard landing resulting in a propeller strike. As the aircraft approached runway 32 the pilot stated he was out of sequence as he applied the air brake system inducing instability just prior to touchdown. The pilot released the airbrake, hit the runway hard bouncing the nose of the aircraft several times causing the aircraft to porpoise. The pilot then throttled up to perform a go-around. Upon landing, following the go-around, the nose wheel fork snapped and buckled, causing the nose tire to drag on the runway. The aircraft continued approximately 40 yards as the nosewheel collapsed, causing the propeller to contact the runway surface. The aircraft's trajectory was marked by visible drag and skid marks, with prop strikes increasing as the nose lowered. The aircraft came to rest in the grassy area on the right side of runway 32. Weather conditions were clear and calm with winds out of the west at approximately 5 knots.
The flight crew consisted of one pilot in command with no other passengers on board. The pilot evacuated safely and was uninjured. An examination of the aircraft confirmed the nose landing gear fork buckled, and the propeller strike. No other damage was identified. A review of the pilot’s certificates did not reveal anything noteworthy. The pilot logbook confirmed the pilot had 26.6 hours flight time in the aircraft with an additional 6.6 hours in an alpha trainer that was approximately 150LBS lighter and not equipped with an airbrake system.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 28, 2025 AT APPROXIMATELY 0830 EDT THE EVENT AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A BROKEN NOSE WHEEL FORK DUE TO A HARD LANDING RESULTING IN A PROPELLER STRIKE. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED RUNWAY 32 THE PILOT STATED HE WAS OUT OF SEQUENCE AS HE APPLIED THE AIR BRAKE SYSTEM INDUCING INSTABILITY JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. THE PILOT RELEASED THE AIRBRAKE, HIT THE RUNWAY HARD BOUNCING THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT SEVERAL TIMES CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO PORPOISE. THE PILOT THEN THROTTLED UP TO PERFORM A GO-AROUND. UPON LANDING, FOLLOWING THE GO-AROUND, THE NOSE WHEEL FORK SNAPPED AND BUCKLED, CAUSING THE NOSE TIRE TO DRAG ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED APPROXIMATELY 40 YARDS AS THE NOSEWHEEL COLLAPSED, CAUSING THE PROPELLER TO CONTACT THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT'S TRAJECTORY WAS MARKED BY VISIBLE DRAG AND SKID MARKS, WITH PROP STRIKES INCREASING AS THE NOSE LOWERED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE GRASSY AREA ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY 32. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR AND CALM WITH WINDS OUT OF THE WEST AT APPROXIMATELY 5 KNOTS.
THE FLIGHT CREW CONSISTED OF ONE PILOT IN COMMAND WITH NO OTHER PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE PILOT EVACUATED SAFELY AND WAS UNINJURED. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT CONFIRMED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR FORK BUCKLED, AND THE PROPELLER STRIKE. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS IDENTIFIED. A REVIEW OF THE PILOT’S CERTIFICATES DID NOT REVEAL ANYTHING NOTEWORTHY. THE PILOT LOGBOOK CONFIRMED THE PILOT HAD 26.6 HOURS FLIGHT TIME IN THE AIRCRAFT WITH AN ADDITIONAL 6.6 HOURS IN AN ALPHA TRAINER THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY 150LBS LIGHTER AND NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN AIRBRAKE SYSTEM.