What happened
The commercial pilot was operating a flight when he misjudged the flare during the landing phase. The aircraft dropped onto the runway surface and bounced back into the air before coming down again with significant force. Following the hard landing, the pilot taxied the aircraft to the ramp area for a visual inspection.
During this initial check, the pilot reported only minor damage. He noted that the nose gear was bent, the firewall was damaged, and several rivets had been popped in the skin of the fuselage.
The investigation
An FAA inspector later examined the aircraft to assess the full extent of the structural integrity issues. Upon detailed inspection, the inspector discovered substantial damage that exceeded the pilot's initial assessment.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the incident was the pilot's misjudgment of the flare during landing. This error led to a bounced landing and subsequent hard touchdown, resulting in structural failure of the nose gear and fuselage components.