Narrative:

I am a student pilot. This was my second cross country. I became very lost at an altitude of 6500 ft. I was preparing to land in a field when I spotted a runway. I had no idea where I was. I tried different frequency and honestly can't remember if I had emergency frequency correct. I was not using the transponder. I, by this time, was very alone, frightened, nearly in a panic. My instinct was to fly the plane -- that is all. When I spotted the runway the plane was very low on fuel and had begun to sputter. I rocked the wings trying to get more fuel to her. I saw one down on runway 20 and was headed for runway 26. I had no contact with tower. I didn't notice the tower till I was letting down to land and had my hands full of plane and 30 KT gusts -- the fuel ran out about 200 yards from runway. I glided down and had to veer right because of stanchions off runway 26. I let in the dirt almost beside the stanchions. A gust of wind caught me and blew me down into a ravine between runway 20 and runway 26. The nose gear collapsed and I thought I'd FLIP. I threw my weight back and the plane stopped and settled. I got out of the plane immediately and distanced myself watching her. She sat there quietly, so I grabbed my flight bag and waited for the emergency vehicles. I waited for about 1/2 hour. No one came so I walked up runway 26. Every now and then I waved at the tower -- no security, fire truck, nothing. I watched the small aircraft doing touch-and-goes wondering why he didn't see me or my plane. As I got closer to the hangars I saw a fuel truck. It read casper, wy. It was only then did I know where I was. I walked into FBO and called huron. While I was on the phone they got another line to FBO. It was then they knew I had gone down and were aware of my presence. They (casper people) and to ask me for location of the plane.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT RUNS OUT OF GAS, IS LOST AND DOESN'T QUITE MAKE IT TO THE NEAREST RWY. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: I AM A STUDENT PLT. THIS WAS MY SECOND XCOUNTRY. I BECAME VERY LOST AT AN ALT OF 6500 FT. I WAS PREPARING TO LAND IN A FIELD WHEN I SPOTTED A RWY. I HAD NO IDEA WHERE I WAS. I TRIED DIFFERENT FREQ AND HONESTLY CAN'T REMEMBER IF I HAD EMER FREQ CORRECT. I WAS NOT USING THE XPONDER. I, BY THIS TIME, WAS VERY ALONE, FRIGHTENED, NEARLY IN A PANIC. MY INSTINCT WAS TO FLY THE PLANE -- THAT IS ALL. WHEN I SPOTTED THE RWY THE PLANE WAS VERY LOW ON FUEL AND HAD BEGUN TO SPUTTER. I ROCKED THE WINGS TRYING TO GET MORE FUEL TO HER. I SAW ONE DOWN ON RWY 20 AND WAS HEADED FOR RWY 26. I HAD NO CONTACT WITH TWR. I DIDN'T NOTICE THE TWR TILL I WAS LETTING DOWN TO LAND AND HAD MY HANDS FULL OF PLANE AND 30 KT GUSTS -- THE FUEL RAN OUT ABOUT 200 YARDS FROM RWY. I GLIDED DOWN AND HAD TO VEER R BECAUSE OF STANCHIONS OFF RWY 26. I LET IN THE DIRT ALMOST BESIDE THE STANCHIONS. A GUST OF WIND CAUGHT ME AND BLEW ME DOWN INTO A RAVINE BTWN RWY 20 AND RWY 26. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND I THOUGHT I'D FLIP. I THREW MY WT BACK AND THE PLANE STOPPED AND SETTLED. I GOT OUT OF THE PLANE IMMEDIATELY AND DISTANCED MYSELF WATCHING HER. SHE SAT THERE QUIETLY, SO I GRABBED MY FLT BAG AND WAITED FOR THE EMER VEHICLES. I WAITED FOR ABOUT 1/2 HR. NO ONE CAME SO I WALKED UP RWY 26. EVERY NOW AND THEN I WAVED AT THE TWR -- NO SECURITY, FIRE TRUCK, NOTHING. I WATCHED THE SMA DOING TOUCH-AND-GOES WONDERING WHY HE DIDN'T SEE ME OR MY PLANE. AS I GOT CLOSER TO THE HANGARS I SAW A FUEL TRUCK. IT READ CASPER, WY. IT WAS ONLY THEN DID I KNOW WHERE I WAS. I WALKED INTO FBO AND CALLED HURON. WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE THEY GOT ANOTHER LINE TO FBO. IT WAS THEN THEY KNEW I HAD GONE DOWN AND WERE AWARE OF MY PRESENCE. THEY (CASPER PEOPLE) AND TO ASK ME FOR LOCATION OF THE PLANE.

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.