Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain. Contributing factors were the pilot inadvertently became lost/disoriented, her lack of total expereince, her lack of familiarity with the geographical area, the poor lighting condition (dusk), and the weather condition (rain).
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot said that during the return leg of a cross country flight, she became disoriented, then because of deteriorating weather and oncoming darkness, decided to land on a river gravel bar. During the landing roll the airplane hit a log and nosed over. The pilot said because of the poor light conditions and a light rain, her selection of a better landing area was hampered.
Source record
Factual narrative
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