Flight Details
A student pilot was conducting a solo cross-country flight. As the pilot approached Sidney, Nebraska, he was unable to establish radio contact with anyone and continued to the airport at cruise altitude. While circling the airport, he began to descend. Before reaching traffic pattern altitude, the pilot applied power, but the engine did not respond. The student declared an emergency and turned toward the airport.
Emergency Landing
Unable to manage both airspeed and altitude, the pilot forced the aircraft onto the runway. The airplane bounced several times, then touched down with the nose and left wing low, resulting in substantial damage.
Instructor's Observations
According to the student's instructor, the student had forgotten to enrich the mixture after descending and then panicked when he thought the engine had failed.
Weather and Icing Conditions
The temperature and dew point were 81°F and 57°F, respectively. According to icing probability charts, serious carburetor ice could occur in float carburetors at glide power. The use of carburetor heat was not verified.