Narrative:

I checked the student's preflight planning for a training x-country flight. The fuel usage information was incomplete. I informed the student specifically to complete the fuel burn calculation for the flight. The student agreed to calculate the information. All other information for the flight was correct. WX conditions were excellent; therefore, I signed the correct endorsement for student/pilot x-country. The planned x-country was from bvi to idi and return direct. An approximately flight of 120 NM at an average ground speed of 97 KTS and 5.7 gals/hour. At approximately 1.7 hours later the student radioed the bvi control tower stating that he was having engine problems. The student was out of fuel and landed the aircraft on I-79. There were no injuries or damage of any kind. The landing was 12 mi short of bvi. The student reports having 18 gals of fuel before the flight, checked with a fuel dipstick. Fuel reported by the student cannot be verified by the fixed base operator or fueler. Instruction of students and FBO policy (company) is to fill fuel tanks before any x-country flight. The student admits to the knowledge of this policy before flight. The student also admits to realizing the fuel critical situation during cruise flight, but did nothing about diverting or stopping for fuel. While I commend the student for making a successful emergency landing, there is serious doubt about his decision to begin the flight west/O full fuel tanks. Also, the student's history at the flight training school indicates a disconcern for responsibility and a lack of sound judgement. Finally, it is revealed in a recording between the student, control tower and an eyewitness aircraft that the student demonstrates an unnatural calmness during an emergency situation. The older, more experienced witnessing pilot was more excited about the situation than the student pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT IN PRIMARY TRAINING ON SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY EXPERIENCES FUEL EXHAUSTION AND MAKES SUCCESSFUL FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: I CHKED THE STUDENT'S PREFLT PLANNING FOR A TRNING X-COUNTRY FLT. THE FUEL USAGE INFO WAS INCOMPLETE. I INFORMED THE STUDENT SPECIFICALLY TO COMPLETE THE FUEL BURN CALCULATION FOR THE FLT. THE STUDENT AGREED TO CALCULATE THE INFO. ALL OTHER INFO FOR THE FLT WAS CORRECT. WX CONDITIONS WERE EXCELLENT; THEREFORE, I SIGNED THE CORRECT ENDORSEMENT FOR STUDENT/PLT X-COUNTRY. THE PLANNED X-COUNTRY WAS FROM BVI TO IDI AND RETURN DIRECT. AN APPROX FLT OF 120 NM AT AN AVERAGE GND SPD OF 97 KTS AND 5.7 GALS/HR. AT APPROX 1.7 HRS LATER THE STUDENT RADIOED THE BVI CTL TWR STATING THAT HE WAS HAVING ENG PROBS. THE STUDENT WAS OUT OF FUEL AND LANDED THE ACFT ON I-79. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND. THE LNDG WAS 12 MI SHORT OF BVI. THE STUDENT RPTS HAVING 18 GALS OF FUEL BEFORE THE FLT, CHKED WITH A FUEL DIPSTICK. FUEL RPTED BY THE STUDENT CANNOT BE VERIFIED BY THE FIXED BASE OPERATOR OR FUELER. INSTRUCTION OF STUDENTS AND FBO POLICY (COMPANY) IS TO FILL FUEL TANKS BEFORE ANY X-COUNTRY FLT. THE STUDENT ADMITS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS POLICY BEFORE FLT. THE STUDENT ALSO ADMITS TO REALIZING THE FUEL CRITICAL SITUATION DURING CRUISE FLT, BUT DID NOTHING ABOUT DIVERTING OR STOPPING FOR FUEL. WHILE I COMMEND THE STUDENT FOR MAKING A SUCCESSFUL EMER LNDG, THERE IS SERIOUS DOUBT ABOUT HIS DECISION TO BEGIN THE FLT W/O FULL FUEL TANKS. ALSO, THE STUDENT'S HISTORY AT THE FLT TRNING SCHOOL INDICATES A DISCONCERN FOR RESPONSIBILITY AND A LACK OF SOUND JUDGEMENT. FINALLY, IT IS REVEALED IN A RECORDING BTWN THE STUDENT, CTL TWR AND AN EYEWITNESS ACFT THAT THE STUDENT DEMONSTRATES AN UNNATURAL CALMNESS DURING AN EMER SITUATION. THE OLDER, MORE EXPERIENCED WITNESSING PLT WAS MORE EXCITED ABOUT THE SITUATION THAN THE STUDENT PLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.