What happened
Following an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight into his home area, the pilot elected to change his destination to land at his home airport. He entered a visual flight rules (VFR) traffic pattern to land on runway 17. During the final approach, the pilot reported that he flared too late and struck the runway surface. The aircraft bounced significantly high before the pilot initiated a go-around. After completing the go-around and returning for another landing attempt, the pilot executed a soft field landing. Upon tying down the aircraft after the flight, he observed damage to the nose gear fairing, which was cracked, and the engine cowling, which was wrinkled.
The investigation
A mechanic assessed the condition of the aircraft following the incident. The assessment determined that the damage sustained to the nose gear fairing and engine cowling was substantial.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the damage was the pilot's late flare during the initial touchdown, which resulted in a high bounce. This event placed excessive stress on the landing gear and forward fuselage components.