What happened
The pilot reported that during the initial approach, he determined his descent path was too steep and initiated a go-around. During the subsequent attempt to land, the aircraft was established on short final approach when the pilot again perceived himself to be high above the desired glide path. In response, the pilot deployed the full flap extension.
This configuration change caused the aircraft to lose airspeed rapidly and enter a stall condition. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground short of the runway threshold. Upon impact with the runway lip, the nose landing gear structure failed catastrophically, shearing off at the attachment point.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage confirmed that the nose landing gear was detached from the airframe due to excessive structural loads incurred during the hard landing. No pre-impact mechanical failures were identified that would have contributed to the loss of control.