Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 37; Flight Crew Total 1492; Flight Crew Type 1451
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Weather
During an FAA-sanctioned and coordinated air race; my race partner and I attempted to land after our race flyby. I was in the left seat and PIC. ASOS reported gusting crosswinds; but during the landing we experienced not only gusts but a major wind shift/wind shear and potential microburst. We bounced with increasing intensity 3 times and then initiated a go-around. The airplane attempting to land behind us also did a go-around. When we turned downwind prior to attempting another landing; an isolated rain shower obscured the field.  We circled north of the field and observed lighting flashing several miles further north.  After the rain shower passed; the winds had shifted to favor a different runway; and we landed without additional incident. Over the next few days; we noticed some additional stress on existing cracks that had been stop-drilled; including significant damage to the spinner which we immediately replaced. We thought it extremely plausible that the crack enlargement especially in the spinner was from the normal stresses of the race; which of course are unusual stresses compared to normal flight. As we pushed to finish the race; we found a 3/16' chip in the leading edge of one propeller blade; leading to concern that we had struck a glancing blow to the runway during our hard landing. We dismissed that concern; because the prop had never stopped; we never felt any contact; and the opposite end of the prop showed no damage; the paint was still completely intact.   At the end of the race; we had advice from knowledgeable mechanics that we should ground the airplane for inspection and repairs; and did so; but we are concerned we were unknowingly flying an un-airworthy aircraft. We detected no unusual engine instrument readings; and no roughness or vibration that would have led us to believe there was any internal damage.
C-182 pilot reports a bounced landing and a go-around after completing an air race stage. No damage is found initially but at the end of the race a propeller nick indicates that the propeller may have struck the ground.