According to the pilot, during landing, the nose landing gear collapsed, separated, and the airplane skidded down the runway prior to coming to rest. The pilot further reported that the landing attitude was level and all three landing gear touched down about the same time. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that the nose landing gear and the firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.