What happened
A private pilot was operating a rented airplane on a return flight to his home base, carrying five passengers. While cruising at 8,500 feet MSL, the pilot observed that the left inboard front cowl fastener was unlatched.
While receiving flight advisories from TRACON, the pilot requested permission for a precautionary landing at the nearest airport. Air traffic control directed the aircraft to a gravel runway measuring 4,500 feet in length. The pilot notified controllers of his intention to perform a short-field landing on runway 02.
Upon arrival, the aircraft experienced a hard landing. The impact was severe enough to shear off both main landing gears and cause the nose gear to collapse. There were no reported fatalities or injuries among the occupants.