Incident Overview
A student pilot experienced difficulties during a cross-country flight. After becoming lost, the pilot's fuel supply became low. The pilot had trouble contacting a ground station but eventually succeeded with assistance from other pilots. He was instructed to squawk 7700 on his transponder, but the ground station could not receive the transponder reply.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that the engine began running rough while the fuel gauges indicated the tanks were one-quarter full. He elected to make a precautionary landing. However, while on a downwind leg to land, the engine lost power, forcing him to land in a different field.
Landing and Nose-Over
During the landing roll on muddy terrain, the aircraft was headed toward farm equipment. The pilot applied brakes to avoid hitting tractors, causing the aircraft to nose over.