What happened
During the final approach for a visual landing, the pilot contacted the flight service station to report an unspecified problem and decided to execute a go-around. On the subsequent second approach, the aircraft crashed 300 feet short of the runway.
The investigation
An examination of the accident site determined that the nose wheel made contact with the ground first, followed by the main landing gear, which resulted in the separation of the nose wheel assembly. Investigators found that there were 3 gallons of fuel remaining in the fuel tanks at the time of the accident.
Post-crash examination of the airframe revealed no mechanical problems. Additionally, interviews conducted with the pilot indicated that the engine remained operational throughout the entire sequence of events, including the final touchdown.