Primary finding
Probable cause
The student pilot's failure to plan a refueling stop for the flight which resulted in the complete exhaustion of the fuel supply and a loss of engine power.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
According to the operator, the student pilot and his flight instructor completed the preflight planning which included computing required fuel. The flight planning concluded that the pilot had ample fuel plus approximately 1.7 hours of fuel upon returning to columbus. The engine quit on approach and the airplane collided with trees two miles short of collumbus. The examination of the airplane failed to disclose a mechanical problem. The student pilot flew the airplane 4.7 hours prior to the total loss of engine power. The student pilot also failed to account for the additional flight time above the planned flight time required for the flight.
Source record
Factual narrative
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