Flight Details
The student pilot departed for a solo training flight with instructions to practice ground reference maneuvers, stalls, and steep turns in the local practice area. The accident site was not located near that practice area.
Witness Observations
Several witnesses reported seeing the airplane circling, climbing, descending, and banking steeply at low altitudes prior to the accident. According to witnesses, the airplane entered a steep left bank, at which point the nose dropped, and the aircraft subsequently impacted power lines and the terrain.
Pilot Experience
The student pilot had accumulated a total of 22.7 hours of flight time at the time of the accident. Additionally, a friend and a relative of the pilot reportedly lived in the area of the accident site.