Primary finding
Probable cause
the student pilot's failure to refuel the airplane prior to fuel exhaustion.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot was on a solo instructional cross country flight when the engine lost power. He made a hard, off-airport landing in a hay field. Postaccident investigation revealed that there was no usable fuel in either fuel tank. The pilot wrote in his report to the NTSB that the accident could have been prevented if he had refueled at the departure airport.
Source record
Factual narrative
On July 30, 1994, about 1500 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172K airplane, N84514, sustained substantial damage during a hard, off-airport forced landing near Rockford, Michigan. The solo student pilot reported minor injury. The cross country instructional flight operated in visual meteorological conditions under 14 CFR Part 91. The student pilot reported a loss of engine power while in cruise flight, and attempted to land in a field. Postaccident inspection revealed a lack of usable fuel in the fuel tanks. In his written report to the NTSB, under Recommendation (How Could This Accident Have Been Prevented), the pilot wrote: "I should have monitored my fuel more closely and fueled at departure airport." -