Incident Overview
A solo student pilot was practicing three full stop landings at a tower-controlled airport. After completing the Before Takeoff checklist, the pilot received clearance for a right traffic pattern and climbed to 2,000 feet mean sea level (msl) on the right downwind. At midfield, he turned on the carburetor heat and performed the Before Landing checklist. Abeam the touchdown point, he reduced throttle and extended 10 degrees of flaps, followed by 20 degrees on base leg.
Loss of Engine Power
On final approach, the pilot increased throttle to gain altitude, but the engine did not respond. He verified that the carburetor heat was on, the mixture was full rich, and the fuel selector was on. Cycling the throttle to full produced no response, prompting him to execute an engine-out forced landing.
Forced Landing and Damage
Tall power lines directly ahead of the airplane forced the pilot to turn left to avoid them. He landed in a cornfield, but the left wing struck trees at the field's end. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Inspection revealed no anomalies; a test run of the engine was limited to 2,000 rpm and showed proper response when the throttle was manipulated between 1,500 and 2,000 rpm. No defects were noted.