Narrative:

First solo cross country from van nuys to apple valley and using radio navigation and pilotage. I had 7 chkpoints to go for my destination. The first chkpoint was the intersection of the 5 freeway and highway 14 in santa clarita. The second chkpoint was agua dulce airport. The third chkpoint was palmdale airport. The fourth chkpoint was briant private airport. The fifth chkpoint was el mirage airport. The sixth chkpoint was southern california international and the last chkpoint was apple valley airport, which was my destination. I was cruising at 7500 ft MSL at this point. I got to my fifth chkpoint which was el mirage, then I attempted to dial in the frequency for southern california VOR and identify it with a 'to' indication and I was unable to get the 'to' indication in the VOR, but I did receive and identify the signal with the morse code. I made contact with hawthorne radio, who transferred me to riverside radio. Riverside radio told me to squawk 1200 on the transponder and hit identify, but they couldn't get me on radar, so they asked me at what altitude I was flying. I told them approximately 5000 ft MSL. Riverside radio told me to climb to 7000 ft MSL and they still couldn't get me on radar. I was told to center the needle with a 'to' indication on the daggett VOR, but daggett would only center with a 'from' indication. I was then told to dial the hector VOR with a 'to' indication, but I didn't get a 'to' indication, all I got was a from indication. Riverside radio said that I was probably east of daggett and to turn to a heading of 260 degrees. I lost communication with riverside so I attempted to climb more, but still couldn't communicate, so I contacted flight watch on 122.0. Flight watch told me to center the needles on hector VOR and goffs VOR. I was then told to head 090 degrees and asked for fuel status. My answer was probably 1 hour fuel. I was told to start looking for a place to land. I flew for about 1 hour and still had contact with flight watch and another airplane in the area wanted to help me, but I ran out of fuel and engine went off. So he told me about the road in which I made a forced landing that was successful with no damage to anybody. Highway patrol officer on scene assisted me and helped me remove aircraft away from highway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT BECOMES DISORIENTED. HE GETS HELP FROM SEVERAL FACILITIES BUT IS LOW ON FUEL WHEN FINALLY ABLE TO GET A POS FROM FLT WATCH FACILITY. LANDS ON ROAD WHEN ENG QUITS.

Narrative: FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY FROM VAN NUYS TO APPLE VALLEY AND USING RADIO NAV AND PILOTAGE. I HAD 7 CHKPOINTS TO GO FOR MY DEST. THE FIRST CHKPOINT WAS THE INTXN OF THE 5 FREEWAY AND HWY 14 IN SANTA CLARITA. THE SECOND CHKPOINT WAS AGUA DULCE ARPT. THE THIRD CHKPOINT WAS PALMDALE ARPT. THE FOURTH CHKPOINT WAS BRIANT PVT ARPT. THE FIFTH CHKPOINT WAS EL MIRAGE ARPT. THE SIXTH CHKPOINT WAS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INTL AND THE LAST CHKPOINT WAS APPLE VALLEY ARPT, WHICH WAS MY DEST. I WAS CRUISING AT 7500 FT MSL AT THIS POINT. I GOT TO MY FIFTH CHKPOINT WHICH WAS EL MIRAGE, THEN I ATTEMPTED TO DIAL IN THE FREQ FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VOR AND IDENT IT WITH A 'TO' INDICATION AND I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE 'TO' INDICATION IN THE VOR, BUT I DID RECEIVE AND IDENT THE SIGNAL WITH THE MORSE CODE. I MADE CONTACT WITH HAWTHORNE RADIO, WHO TRANSFERRED ME TO RIVERSIDE RADIO. RIVERSIDE RADIO TOLD ME TO SQUAWK 1200 ON THE XPONDER AND HIT IDENT, BUT THEY COULDN'T GET ME ON RADAR, SO THEY ASKED ME AT WHAT ALT I WAS FLYING. I TOLD THEM APPROX 5000 FT MSL. RIVERSIDE RADIO TOLD ME TO CLB TO 7000 FT MSL AND THEY STILL COULDN'T GET ME ON RADAR. I WAS TOLD TO CTR THE NEEDLE WITH A 'TO' INDICATION ON THE DAGGETT VOR, BUT DAGGETT WOULD ONLY CTR WITH A 'FROM' INDICATION. I WAS THEN TOLD TO DIAL THE HECTOR VOR WITH A 'TO' INDICATION, BUT I DIDN'T GET A 'TO' INDICATION, ALL I GOT WAS A FROM INDICATION. RIVERSIDE RADIO SAID THAT I WAS PROBABLY E OF DAGGETT AND TO TURN TO A HDG OF 260 DEGS. I LOST COM WITH RIVERSIDE SO I ATTEMPTED TO CLB MORE, BUT STILL COULDN'T COMMUNICATE, SO I CONTACTED FLT WATCH ON 122.0. FLT WATCH TOLD ME TO CTR THE NEEDLES ON HECTOR VOR AND GOFFS VOR. I WAS THEN TOLD TO HEAD 090 DEGS AND ASKED FOR FUEL STATUS. MY ANSWER WAS PROBABLY 1 HR FUEL. I WAS TOLD TO START LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. I FLEW FOR ABOUT 1 HR AND STILL HAD CONTACT WITH FLT WATCH AND ANOTHER AIRPLANE IN THE AREA WANTED TO HELP ME, BUT I RAN OUT OF FUEL AND ENG WENT OFF. SO HE TOLD ME ABOUT THE ROAD IN WHICH I MADE A FORCED LNDG THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL WITH NO DAMAGE TO ANYBODY. HWY PATROL OFFICER ON SCENE ASSISTED ME AND HELPED ME REMOVE ACFT AWAY FROM HWY.

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.