To add the first article that I read said they had started at 9000ft and then another one said they had deployed when trying to stretch the glide to get into the airport.
Quite a common issue with student pilots is a engine failure at altitude. They can bang the PFL in time and time again from 1000-2000ft. 5k plus way to many options even if you do it in the training area which they know like the back of thier hands.
On reading the 9000ft comment my thought was that it was a "nearest direct" with no thought about all those fields going underneith. They must of been flying for over 10 mins and covered over 10 miles.
I think it was BPF or DAR has said somewhere else its the partial engine failures that give the most problems not the out right engine failures. Personally if the sod starts giving me grief it would get treated as failed and a forced landing commenced. Trying to glide over ten miles away is never going to work. If the runway was inside 5 miles yep have a shot at it.