Narrative:

The reporter is a flight instructor who was not on board the aircraft. The student pilot was on his second cross country solo flight from new orleans - gulfport, ms, to mccomb, ms and return to new orleans. The flight was not completed as planned because on the last leg of the flight the student exhausted his fuel supply and safely landed the aircraft on interstate 12 west, at exit 74. The student had become lost in the vicinity of mccomb, ms, due to reduced visibility from the smoke from burning fields, and haze that was not reported on the surface observations from the mccomb FSS prior to his departure. He was given very clear instructions from his flight instructor on what to do if unable to locate the mccomb airport. He was to proceed directly to the mccomb VOR and track the 230 degree radial to the airport, 13 mi and by pilotage was to proceed no further west than interstate 55. The student pilot was anxious because of the reduced visibility and contacted the mccomb FSS when he was over the tylertown, ms, airport (approximately 15 mi east of mccomb). He was told by mccomb FSS to fly west and he would see the airport. For the next hour or so he was directed by the FSS and at least 1 center controller in attempts to assist the student to find the airport. During all of this, the student had lost all sense of time. He also was not wearing a wristwatch and in his preoccupation with the radio communications, trying to locate a landmark to match where he thought he was on the sectional, he neglected to use the functioning aircraft clock (directly in front of him) on the hobbs meter, or to check the fuel quantity indications. He finally located mccomb and executed a touch-and-go there. While on his rollout he reported to his instructor he considered buying gas but vetoed this idea for reasons not given. 20 mins later he crossed over an airport at abita springs, la. Again he reported that he considered landing and purchasing gas. He again vetoed this idea, electing to hurry home. Approximately 5 mins later the engine quit but restarted itself when he pitched back to the best glide speed. He made a precautionary landing on the interstate with power, and on his rollout taxied the aircraft down an exit ramp so as not to impair traffic and secured the airplane. Pilot and aircraft were undamaged. In conclusion, the student pilot was so concerned by other factors that he neglected to bring his attention back inside the aircraft where it belonged. He did not execute the flight the way he had been briefed by his instructor and he passed up the opportunity to purchase gas on 2 occasions, something he will never do again. As his flight instructor, I now present my students with my instrument timer prior to engine start, they wear the lanyard around their neck.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL EXHAUSTION IN SMA BY STUDENT PLT ON SECOND XCOUNTRY TRIP. EMER OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: THE RPTR IS A FLT INSTRUCTOR WHO WAS NOT ON BOARD THE ACFT. THE STUDENT PLT WAS ON HIS SECOND XCOUNTRY SOLO FLT FROM NEW ORLEANS - GULFPORT, MS, TO MCCOMB, MS AND RETURN TO NEW ORLEANS. THE FLT WAS NOT COMPLETED AS PLANNED BECAUSE ON THE LAST LEG OF THE FLT THE STUDENT EXHAUSTED HIS FUEL SUPPLY AND SAFELY LANDED THE ACFT ON INTERSTATE 12 W, AT EXIT 74. THE STUDENT HAD BECOME LOST IN THE VICINITY OF MCCOMB, MS, DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY FROM THE SMOKE FROM BURNING FIELDS, AND HAZE THAT WAS NOT RPTED ON THE SURFACE OBSERVATIONS FROM THE MCCOMB FSS PRIOR TO HIS DEP. HE WAS GIVEN VERY CLR INSTRUCTIONS FROM HIS FLT INSTRUCTOR ON WHAT TO DO IF UNABLE TO LOCATE THE MCCOMB ARPT. HE WAS TO PROCEED DIRECTLY TO THE MCCOMB VOR AND TRACK THE 230 DEG RADIAL TO THE ARPT, 13 MI AND BY PILOTAGE WAS TO PROCEED NO FURTHER W THAN INTERSTATE 55. THE STUDENT PLT WAS ANXIOUS BECAUSE OF THE REDUCED VISIBILITY AND CONTACTED THE MCCOMB FSS WHEN HE WAS OVER THE TYLERTOWN, MS, ARPT (APPROX 15 MI E OF MCCOMB). HE WAS TOLD BY MCCOMB FSS TO FLY W AND HE WOULD SEE THE ARPT. FOR THE NEXT HR OR SO HE WAS DIRECTED BY THE FSS AND AT LEAST 1 CTR CTLR IN ATTEMPTS TO ASSIST THE STUDENT TO FIND THE ARPT. DURING ALL OF THIS, THE STUDENT HAD LOST ALL SENSE OF TIME. HE ALSO WAS NOT WEARING A WRISTWATCH AND IN HIS PREOCCUPATION WITH THE RADIO COMS, TRYING TO LOCATE A LANDMARK TO MATCH WHERE HE THOUGHT HE WAS ON THE SECTIONAL, HE NEGLECTED TO USE THE FUNCTIONING ACFT CLOCK (DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM) ON THE HOBBS METER, OR TO CHK THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATIONS. HE FINALLY LOCATED MCCOMB AND EXECUTED A TOUCH-AND-GO THERE. WHILE ON HIS ROLLOUT HE RPTED TO HIS INSTRUCTOR HE CONSIDERED BUYING GAS BUT VETOED THIS IDEA FOR REASONS NOT GIVEN. 20 MINS LATER HE CROSSED OVER AN ARPT AT ABITA SPRINGS, LA. AGAIN HE RPTED THAT HE CONSIDERED LNDG AND PURCHASING GAS. HE AGAIN VETOED THIS IDEA, ELECTING TO HURRY HOME. APPROX 5 MINS LATER THE ENG QUIT BUT RESTARTED ITSELF WHEN HE PITCHED BACK TO THE BEST GLIDE SPD. HE MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON THE INTERSTATE WITH PWR, AND ON HIS ROLLOUT TAXIED THE ACFT DOWN AN EXIT RAMP SO AS NOT TO IMPAIR TFC AND SECURED THE AIRPLANE. PLT AND ACFT WERE UNDAMAGED. IN CONCLUSION, THE STUDENT PLT WAS SO CONCERNED BY OTHER FACTORS THAT HE NEGLECTED TO BRING HIS ATTN BACK INSIDE THE ACFT WHERE IT BELONGED. HE DID NOT EXECUTE THE FLT THE WAY HE HAD BEEN BRIEFED BY HIS INSTRUCTOR AND HE PASSED UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE GAS ON 2 OCCASIONS, SOMETHING HE WILL NEVER DO AGAIN. AS HIS FLT INSTRUCTOR, I NOW PRESENT MY STUDENTS WITH MY INST TIMER PRIOR TO ENG START, THEY WEAR THE LANYARD AROUND THEIR NECK.

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.