Incident Overview
A student pilot with 79 total hours of flight time departed on his third supervised solo cross-country flight. While en route to his destination, he began circling over mountainous terrain. According to a witness, the aircraft's altitude progressively lowered during the circling. After the third circle, the aircraft crashed and cartwheeled to a stop.
Background
The student pilot had participated in Civil Air Patrol flights and was acquainted with a protocol for 'contour' searching over mountainous terrain. An acquaintance of the pilot suspected that he might have been looking for Indian ruins while circling. The acquaintance also stated that a pilot could become fixated on an object during a contour search.
Sequence of Events
Details from the investigation indicate that the pilot intentionally began circling over the area. The aircraft's altitude decreased gradually with each circuit. A witness observed the aircraft complete three circles before it struck the ground and cartwheeled to a stop. No other information about the aircraft, registration, or specific location was provided in the source.
Investigation
The source does not state a probable cause for the accident. The acquaintance's comments suggest possible distraction or fixation, but these are not official findings. The investigation would typically examine factors such as pilot experience, terrain, and operational procedures, but such analysis is not included in the source material.