Narrative:

On dec/mon/02, I endorsed a student pilot for his first initial solo cross country. I helped create and review his flight planning. We discussed procedures on takeoffs, lndgs, and en route. Before he left, I told him to make sure the fuel tanks are full. Tanks were full, not topped off. He began his route of flight and made it to his first destination and did a touch-and-go. Then proceeded to the next destination and about 1 hour of flight, he couldn't find his next destination, so he decided to fly back to his starting point and became disoriented and flew a northeast heading when he should have flown a southeast heading. He then saw a river which he thought was arkansas river and began to follow that further northeast. He ran out of fuel in southern missouri and landed in a cow pasture. No damage was done to the airplane, the owner's land and property, and most importantly, the student wasn't injured in any manner. This was a learning experience for both the student and I.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 STUDENT PLT, ON SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT, GOT LOST, RAN OUT OF GAS AND MADE A FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: ON DEC/MON/02, I ENDORSED A STUDENT PLT FOR HIS FIRST INITIAL SOLO XCOUNTRY. I HELPED CREATE AND REVIEW HIS FLT PLANNING. WE DISCUSSED PROCS ON TKOFS, LNDGS, AND ENRTE. BEFORE HE LEFT, I TOLD HIM TO MAKE SURE THE FUEL TANKS ARE FULL. TANKS WERE FULL, NOT TOPPED OFF. HE BEGAN HIS RTE OF FLT AND MADE IT TO HIS FIRST DEST AND DID A TOUCH-AND-GO. THEN PROCEEDED TO THE NEXT DEST AND ABOUT 1 HR OF FLT, HE COULDN'T FIND HIS NEXT DEST, SO HE DECIDED TO FLY BACK TO HIS STARTING POINT AND BECAME DISORIENTED AND FLEW A NE HDG WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE FLOWN A SE HDG. HE THEN SAW A RIVER WHICH HE THOUGHT WAS ARKANSAS RIVER AND BEGAN TO FOLLOW THAT FURTHER NE. HE RAN OUT OF FUEL IN SOUTHERN MISSOURI AND LANDED IN A COW PASTURE. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE AIRPLANE, THE OWNER'S LAND AND PROPERTY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE STUDENT WASN'T INJURED IN ANY MANNER. THIS WAS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR BOTH THE STUDENT AND I.

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.