What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Student pilot on third leg of a long cross country solo training flight. He had departed the sun river airport for medford, Oregon on this leg and was at 10,500 feet (appropriate). Enroute his radio transmissions did not seem to be getting thru to center and they asked him to "ident" if he heard them. He had noticed a "burnt hydraulic smell" earlier. When he idented the transponder he then heard a crackling and popping noise, the engine seem to stutter and his gauge needles were bouncing every which way. He noted smoke coming from behind the panel. He immediately started an approach to a road and placed the plane in the narrow opening and touched down too fast (80 to 85 knots) and eventually went off the narrow road hit a ditch and flipped over.
As the FAA filed it
STUDENT PILOT ON THIRD LEG OF A LONG CROSS COUNTRY SOLO TRAINING FLIGHT. HE HAD DEPARTED THE SUN RIVER AIRPORT FOR MEDFORD, OREGON ON THIS LEG AND WAS AT 10,500 FEET (APPROPRIATE). ENROUTE HIS RADIO TRANSMISSIONS DID NOT SEEM TO BE GETTING THRU TO CENTER AND THEY ASKED HIM TO "IDENT" IF HE HEARD THEM. HE HAD NOTICED A "BURNT HYDRAULIC SMELL" EARLIER. WHEN HE IDENTED THE TRANSPONDER HE THEN HEARD A CRACKLING AND POPPING NOISE, THE ENGINE SEEM TO STUTTER AND HIS GAUGE NEEDLES WERE BOUNCING EVERY WHICH WAY. HE NOTED SMOKE COMING FROM BEHIND THE PANEL. HE IMMEDIATELY STARTED AN APPROACH TO A ROAD AND PLACED THE PLANE IN THE NARROW OPENING AND TOUCHED DOWN TOO FAST (80 TO 85 KNOTS) AND EVENTUALLY WENT OFF THE NARROW ROAD HIT A DITCH AND FLIPPED OVER.