What happened
The pilot reported that he was unable to receive a 'gear down' indication light during his approach. In an effort to resolve the issue, he cycled the landing gear multiple times but did not observe any change in the indicator status. He also attempted to contact ground personnel via UNICOM frequency to request a visual inspection of the aircraft's configuration, but received no response.
Despite the uncertainty regarding the landing gear position, the pilot elected to proceed with the landing. A witness, identified as a lineman, confirmed that he did not receive any calls on the UNICOM frequency. He observed the aircraft in the traffic pattern and stated that the landing gear appeared to be down from his vantage point.
The witness further described the landing sequence. The aircraft initially touched down on its main landing gear. As the nose gear was lowered toward the runway surface, it collapsed. This failure caused the nose to rebound, lifting the aircraft several feet into the air. The aircraft bounced twice more before finally remaining on the ground.
The investigation
A post-accident inspection of the aircraft revealed substantial overload damage to the structural attachments of the nose gear. Additionally, the aircraft's tail skid was found driven up into the lower fuselage as a result of the impact forces.