Incident Overview
The airplane sustained substantial damage following a landing that involved multiple bounces. According to the pilot, during the final approach he noticed he was too high and began slipping the airplane to descend more rapidly. As he initiated the flare, he realized he was still too high and chose to reduce engine power to idle. The airplane then contacted the runway and bounced, became airborne, and bounced a second time. The pilot continued holding the flare attitude, and the airplane touched down again and stayed on the ground.
Pilot Narrative
The pilot reported that on final approach he was aware of being too high and started a slip. When he began the flare, he was still above the desired height, so he pulled the throttle to idle. The airplane bounced upon touchdown, lifted off the ground, and bounced a second time. He maintained the flare, and the airplane settled onto the runway for a third landing that remained on the ground. After the landing roll, he taxied the airplane to the ramp for parking and shut down the engine.
Damage Assessment
Following the flight, the pilot observed that the nose wheel tire was flat. The airplane was noted to have substantial damage overall, though the pilot's account only specifically mentions the nose tire. The incident did not involve any other reported anomalies during the taxi or shutdown.