What happened
A student pilot, who had accumulated approximately 26 hours of total flight experience, was conducting a local flight in a Cessna (type not specified in source) accompanied by a private pilot with 605 total flight hours. The student pilot was operating the controls during the flight.
While entering the traffic pattern for landing on a 2,750-foot turf runway, the student pilot's initial approach was too high, necessitating a go-around. During a second landing attempt, the aircraft appeared to be on the correct glide slope when it suddenly dropped and struck power lines and the top of a 40-foot utility pole. The impact occurred approximately 250 feet before the runway approach end. The wires were marked with orange balls. Following the collision, the aircraft flipped over and came to rest inverted in a field of crops about 140 feet from the runway approach end. The occupants were not injured.
The investigation
The investigation noted that the student pilot had no solo flight experience. The student's flight instructor reported that while the student was considered a good pilot, she had not authorized solo flight due to performance issues during landings. The instructor also observed that the student became very tense and nervous during landing attempts. The private pilot attempted to intervene by reaching for the controls and applying engine power, but was unable to prevent the impact.