The student pilot reportedly purchased the airplane several months prior to the accident, and was on a local flight when the accident flight occurred. The pilot stated that the airplane got low during an approach to the runway, so he added engine power, but the engine did not respond. The airplane then impacted a guardrail short of the runway. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, who responded to the scene, stated that pilot had reported putting 5 gallons of fuel in the airplane prior to flight, that the pilot had been airborne for about an hour, and the engine used about 4 gallons per hour. In a telephone interview with the NTSB Investigator in Charge (IIC), the pilot stated the engine did not produce power during the approach, and he thought that the airplane might have encountered carburetor icing. The pilot failed to submit a NTSB form 6120.1, Pilot/Operator Accident/Incident Report, as requested.