Narrative:

Not having previously flown this particular airplane, I did a careful preflight. No problems found. Fuel was topped off. On taxi from tie down to runway 5 the steering seemed somewhat stiff. Runup was normal. On applying full power for takeoff, communication-1 radio suddenly developed heavy constant static. At pattern altitude, I switched to communication-2 and static became occasional. Called for radio check. No response. Could hear other radio traffic on unicom. Switched back and forth between communication-1 and communication-2. Static remained occasional on both. Flight was otherwise uneventful and no lndgs were made prior to turning back toward shd. I reported position on unicom at 10 mi southwest of airport and again at 5 mi southwest. Called several times for airport TA. No response. Was concerned that radio was not transmitting. Visibility was very good. Observed the windsock hanging limp. The last unicom report I had heard indicated runway 5 was in use so I entered pattern downwind for runway 5. Made pattern announcements on unicom but did not know if radio was transmitting. Approach to landing was made with full flaps (30 degree), speed approximately 75 mph. Flare was inadequate and touchdown seemed somewhat flat. Nose bounced once. Decided to try for a better landing, raised flaps, applied power and took off. Approach was made with flaps at 20 degree, speed about 75-80 mph. Kept plane over the runway centerline, power all the way back, holding back on the yoke to let it settle in. The plane touched down and the nose began to bounce violently up and down. I did not recognize what was happening but tried to keep the plane under control. Plane began to yaw right. Applied left rudder to correct. The nose slammed down hard and I heard a metallic 'ping' and I presumed the propeller had contacted the runway. Cleared the runway and taxied back to the ramp. Parked the plane and examined the propeller, verifying that the tips were bent back about 1-2 inches from each end. The richmond FSDO was contacted and mr X advised that the FAA would take no action in this matter. Airport personnel inspected the runway and verified no pavement damage. This plane is nose heavy and probably was not sufficiently trimmed for landing. It seems likely that the nose wheel contacted the runway before the mains and bounced hard throwing the plane out of control. Probable contributing factors include: the brief introduction to this aircraft failed to adequately impress upon me the vital need to maintain proper trim for this particular nose heavy plane. I failed to recognize that the marginal first landing may have been due to insufficient trim. I was partly preoccupied and concerned about the radio problem.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON LNDG ATTEMPT MAKES GAR. THEN BOUNCES ON SECOND TRY AND CURLS PROP.

Narrative: NOT HAVING PREVIOUSLY FLOWN THIS PARTICULAR AIRPLANE, I DID A CAREFUL PREFLT. NO PROBS FOUND. FUEL WAS TOPPED OFF. ON TAXI FROM TIE DOWN TO RWY 5 THE STEERING SEEMED SOMEWHAT STIFF. RUNUP WAS NORMAL. ON APPLYING FULL PWR FOR TKOF, COM-1 RADIO SUDDENLY DEVELOPED HVY CONSTANT STATIC. AT PATTERN ALT, I SWITCHED TO COM-2 AND STATIC BECAME OCCASIONAL. CALLED FOR RADIO CHK. NO RESPONSE. COULD HEAR OTHER RADIO TFC ON UNICOM. SWITCHED BACK AND FORTH BTWN COM-1 AND COM-2. STATIC REMAINED OCCASIONAL ON BOTH. FLT WAS OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL AND NO LNDGS WERE MADE PRIOR TO TURNING BACK TOWARD SHD. I RPTED POS ON UNICOM AT 10 MI SW OF ARPT AND AGAIN AT 5 MI SW. CALLED SEVERAL TIMES FOR ARPT TA. NO RESPONSE. WAS CONCERNED THAT RADIO WAS NOT TRANSMITTING. VISIBILITY WAS VERY GOOD. OBSERVED THE WINDSOCK HANGING LIMP. THE LAST UNICOM RPT I HAD HEARD INDICATED RWY 5 WAS IN USE SO I ENTERED PATTERN DOWNWIND FOR RWY 5. MADE PATTERN ANNOUNCEMENTS ON UNICOM BUT DID NOT KNOW IF RADIO WAS TRANSMITTING. APCH TO LNDG WAS MADE WITH FULL FLAPS (30 DEG), SPD APPROX 75 MPH. FLARE WAS INADEQUATE AND TOUCHDOWN SEEMED SOMEWHAT FLAT. NOSE BOUNCED ONCE. DECIDED TO TRY FOR A BETTER LNDG, RAISED FLAPS, APPLIED PWR AND TOOK OFF. APCH WAS MADE WITH FLAPS AT 20 DEG, SPD ABOUT 75-80 MPH. KEPT PLANE OVER THE RWY CTRLINE, PWR ALL THE WAY BACK, HOLDING BACK ON THE YOKE TO LET IT SETTLE IN. THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN AND THE NOSE BEGAN TO BOUNCE VIOLENTLY UP AND DOWN. I DID NOT RECOGNIZE WHAT WAS HAPPENING BUT TRIED TO KEEP THE PLANE UNDER CTL. PLANE BEGAN TO YAW R. APPLIED L RUDDER TO CORRECT. THE NOSE SLAMMED DOWN HARD AND I HEARD A METALLIC 'PING' AND I PRESUMED THE PROP HAD CONTACTED THE RWY. CLRED THE RWY AND TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP. PARKED THE PLANE AND EXAMINED THE PROP, VERIFYING THAT THE TIPS WERE BENT BACK ABOUT 1-2 INCHES FROM EACH END. THE RICHMOND FSDO WAS CONTACTED AND MR X ADVISED THAT THE FAA WOULD TAKE NO ACTION IN THIS MATTER. ARPT PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE RWY AND VERIFIED NO PAVEMENT DAMAGE. THIS PLANE IS NOSE HVY AND PROBABLY WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY TRIMMED FOR LNDG. IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT THE NOSE WHEEL CONTACTED THE RWY BEFORE THE MAINS AND BOUNCED HARD THROWING THE PLANE OUT OF CTL. PROBABLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE: THE BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THIS ACFT FAILED TO ADEQUATELY IMPRESS UPON ME THE VITAL NEED TO MAINTAIN PROPER TRIM FOR THIS PARTICULAR NOSE HVY PLANE. I FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE MARGINAL FIRST LNDG MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO INSUFFICIENT TRIM. I WAS PARTLY PREOCCUPIED AND CONCERNED ABOUT THE RADIO PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.