Approach and Initial Touchdown
The pilot used a crab angle into the wind while approaching runway 16 for landing. Just before touchdown, the pilot removed the crab angle with opposite rudder. The airplane initially touched down "softly" but then lifted off again. The pilot pushed the control yoke forward, and the airplane settled back onto the runway.
Bounce and Hard Landing
During the second touchdown, the pilot flared and the airplane landed "firmly." The nose then "came up fast," causing the stall warning horn to sound. The airplane touched down again "very hard." Subsequently, the airplane was described as "bucking or bouncing" and veered off the left side of the runway, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear.
Pilot's Theories
The pilot theorized that "a gust of wind caused the nose to come up fast, then slammed down hard causing nose gear to collapse." However, the pilot did not mention wind gusts in the weather section of the report. The pilot also theorized that the second touchdown was "too heavy on the nose gear," which caused the shock absorber to compress and allowed the propeller to strike the ground.
Witness Observation
A witness reported that the airplane's approach speed appeared to be "hot" and that the airplane bounced three times.