An intersting thread and how it has developed sonce I had me lunch yesterday.
I still say (see post #2) that an orbit should be a plain simple thing to achieve safely and I have been asked to do loads for traffic separation at ATC fields. At A/G and FISO fields I have done them as well - usually because some other guy has done something unexpected like an early downwind to base turn when I am already on a longer final. I have used my Mk 1 eyeball to check it's safe and announced that I am orbitting in present position to maintain traffic separation.
AFAI can see this most unfortunate accident was because the poor lad got way out of his comfort zone. It all started when ATC told him to backtrack and that threw him. I don't think he ever recovered his nerve after that.
I was surprised that he had soloed before he did air law. As that is usually first, no doubt at all (in my mind) that he hadn't done R/T.
This is a horrble examople of a perfectly good pilot doing consitent circuits, getting the encouragment of going solo, but without (said with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight) the deeper knowledge to understand and deal with the slightly less straight forward than a text book circuit.