What happened
The flight proceeded normally until the final approach phase. The pilot was flying toward runway 18 when the aircraft touched down on the pavement. Upon contact, the nose of the aircraft dropped significantly, causing the plane to bounce three or four times in succession.
Recognizing the situation, the pilot immediately added power to lift the aircraft back into the air. However, shortly after becoming airborne again, a significant vibration was felt throughout the airframe. This vibration was traced to the rotation of the nose wheel. In response to the mechanical instability, the pilot cut the power and executed a landing on the runway.
The investigation
Post-incident examination focused on the mechanical state of the aircraft following the hard landings and the subsequent vibration event. The primary finding related to the source of the oscillation felt by the pilot during the second takeoff attempt.