Flight Description
A student pilot had completed his private pilot maneuver sequence and was returning to the departure airport. He stated that he was aware of a mountain and rising terrain between him and the airport, but thought he would have no problem crossing over them.
Terrain Encounter
During the return, the pilot ended up in a ravine between two hills with the airplane in a slight climb. He saw a blind canyon in front of him and turned left, where he encountered a second blind canyon. At that point, the pilot realized that he would not clear the rising terrain and added 10 degrees of flaps. However, that did not alleviate the problem.
Aircraft Damage
The nose gear then struck brush in the ravine and the airplane flipped over. The pilot stated that the engine appeared to have been operating normally throughout the flight. The density altitude at the site at the time of the accident was calculated to be about 7,550 feet.