Incident Overview
A student pilot on his first solo cross-country flight experienced a hard landing at a single-runway destination airport. According to the dispatching flight instructor, the flight was the student's initial solo cross-country. The student pilot reported that the wind at the airport was from 120 degrees at 6 knots, leading him to select runway 20 for landing.
Approach and Landing
Abeam the intended point of landing, the student pilot reduced power, extended 10 degrees of flaps, and achieved the desired descent airspeed. He maintained this airspeed during the base leg. While turning onto final, he noticed the airplane was high. The student pilot then lowered the flaps fully while continuing to hold the target approach airspeed. Once over the runway, the airplane "ballooned," then "dropped immediately" and struck the runway in a nose-low attitude. The stall warning horn sounded from "slightly before" the balloon until the moment of impact.
Post-Flight Examination
The student pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane. A postflight inspection revealed a collapsed nose landing gear and damage to the firewall.