What happened
The flight consisted of three legs. While the first leg was characterized by turbulence, the subsequent two flights were uneventful. During the final leg of the flight, the pilot contacted the Air Traffic Control Tower and received updated weather information indicating winds from 250 degrees at 18 knots, with gusts reaching 25 knots.
During the flare for landing, the aircraft's nose pitched up, followed by an impact where the nose landing gear struck the runway first. This caused the airplane to bounce, prompting the pilot to execute a go-around. The flight returned to the airport and successfully landed the aircraft in a three-point attitude. During the subsequent landing roll, the pilot heard a noise originating from the nose landing gear and discovered that the nose landing gear tire was flat. The aircraft was then secured on the runway.
The investigation
An examination conducted by an FAA Airworthiness Inspector identified several areas of damage to the aircraft. Findings included damage to the left main wing spar and wrinkling of the top skin on the nose section. Additionally, the inspector noted that the balance weight for the nose landing gear tire had separated and found damage to the fuselage near the pilot's window.