Incident Overview
A student pilot conducting a solo cross-country flight experienced an incident during landing at Holdrege, Nebraska. The pilot's first attempt to land was aborted, followed by a second approach. During this time, another aircraft had landed and encountered turbulent wind conditions.
Landing Sequence
After the second approach, the student pilot landed the aircraft. Upon touchdown, the aircraft veered to the left and departed the runway surface, proceeding down a slight embankment alongside the runway toward a ditch.
Damage
During the excursion, the nose gear struck uneven terrain. The impact knocked the nosewheel off the nose gear strut. The strut subsequently dug into the ground, resulting in damage to the engine mounts and the firewall.
Wind Conditions
The student pilot reported that the wind was from the north and west at 5 to 10 knots. At Kearney, Nebraska, approximately 22 miles northeast of Holdrege, the wind was recorded from 060 degrees at 5 knots.