The transient eigenmode structure of an interacting cantilever during a single impact on different surfaces evidences the excitation of higher flexural modes and low frequency oscillations. The frequency shift of the fundamental mode after the tip comes into contact with the sample surface allows calculating the tip-sample interaction stiffness and evidences the role of capillary condensation and surface wettability on the cantilever dynamics. Wavelet transforms are used to trace the origin of spectral features in the cantilever spectra and calculate force gradients of the tip-sample interaction.