N98598

Following a brief local flight, the pilot entered the traffic pattern at his home airport. While on final approach to the runway, the pilot noted the gusting crosswind and elected to approach the runway at an airspeed of 70 knots, instead of the typical 60 knots. The airplane touched down on the runway, ballooned to a height of approximately 10 feet, and then bounced twice more before it settled onto the runway. The pilot suspected that the nose landing gear tire had ruptured, taxied off the runway, and shutdown the engine. During the accident sequence, the airplane’s firewall was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The wind reported at the airport about the time of the accident was from left quartering headwind at 15 knots, with gusts to 20 knots.