What happened
The incident occurred during a landing attempt at an airport where multiple runways were available. The Unicom operator informed the pilot that surface winds were blowing from the west at 20 knots, with gusts reaching up to 35 knots. Based on this wind data, the operator suggested using runway 16, although runways 30 and 34 were also open for use.
The pilot elected to land on runway 16. Upon touchdown, the aircraft was unable to maintain directional control due to the crosswind conditions. The airplane subsequently departed the paved surface of the runway. During this excursion, the nose gear collapsed under the stress of leaving the runway environment.
Following the event, the pilot acknowledged that landing on runway 30 or 34 would have been the more appropriate decision given the wind direction and speed.