Incident Overview
A student pilot on a supervised solo cross-country flight encountered a loss of engine power while at cruise altitude. The incident occurred after the student reached the first checkpoint and subsequently reversed course because he had departed on the wrong heading.
Sequence of Events
After reversing course, the student was approaching the same checkpoint for the second time when the power loss worsened to the point that he could not clear high terrain. He elected to remain in a valley to avoid the high terrain. However, when he was unable to maintain altitude, he performed an emergency landing, which resulted in the aircraft coming to rest in trees.
Current Status
The aircraft has not been removed from the accident site. Consequently, a comprehensive examination of the entire airframe and engine has not been conducted.